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From: nathan@visi.com (Nathan Mates)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2,comp.answers,news.answers
Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.EDU
Followup-To: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Apple II & Flopticals Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Archive-name: apple2/floptical
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: Mar 1 1997
Version: 1.1
URL: http://www.visi.com/~nathan/a2/faq/floptical.html

         Mini-FAQ (frequently asked questions): floptical and the //'s
                                       
Disclaimer

   Copyright (c) 1993-96, by Frank M. Lin, Nathan Mates
   All rights reserved.
   
   Feel free to distribute original copies of this to anywhere you think
   it might be of help. However, I'd like to keep a master version of
   this document available at
   http://www.visi.com/~nathan/a2/faq/zip.html, so I'd much appreciate it
   if you made links to this page than duplicating it.
   
   Please do not modify this FAQ. Let me know (send email to
   nathan@visi.com) if any information is incorrect and/or misleading.
   
     _________________________________________________________________
                                      
Table of Contents

    1. Which Apple //'s can use the floptical?
    2. Which RamFAST ROM version do I need?
    3. Where can I buy the latest RamFAST ROM's?
    4. Which drivers do I need for the Apple SCSI cards?
    5. Where can I get Richard Bennett's freeware drivers?
       
     _________________________________________________________________
                                      
Which Apple //'s can use the floptical?

   With the Apple //gs, you can use the Apple SCSI card rev. C, Apple
   High-Speed SCSI card, or RamFAST SCSI card.
   
   With the //gs, you can use the floptical to read and write:
   
   720k MFM formated disks (usually MS-DOS)
   1440k MFM formatted disks (usually MS-DOS)
   ~21mb VHD disks (like a SCSI device)
   
   With the //e, you can only use RamFAST. I believe you can only use it
   as a 21mb drive. A floptical will be a decent main drive, or a pretty
   good backup media.
   
     _________________________________________________________________
                                      
Which RamFAST ROM version do I need?

   You need 3.0k or later to have floptical support, but some of them
   have bugs with the floptical support. So be sure to get the best
   version, 3.0.1e ROM.
   
   3.0.1e fixes some floptical bugs, and also allows the mounting of
   ISO-9660 (high-sierra format) CD-ROMs.
   
     _________________________________________________________________
                                      
Where can I buy the latest RamFAST ROM's?

   Your best bet is to order from Sequential Systems directly at:
   
   Sequential Systems, Inc.
   1200 Diamond Circle
   Lafayette, Colorado 80026
   
   sales: (800) 759-4549
   customer service: (800) 999-1717
   Be sure to specify for rev. C or rev D. RamFAST, and if you have a //e
   or //gs.
   
     _________________________________________________________________
                                      
Which drivers do I need for the Apple SCSI cards?

   For rev. C or High-Speed, you can use Richard Bennett's freeware
   drivers. If you bought the floptical drive from Tulin, they also come
   with Tulin's drivers.
   
   Latest version of Richard's drivers is 1.0.1.
   
     _________________________________________________________________
                                      
Where can I get Richard Bennett's freeware drivers?

   It is available for FTP on apple2.caltech.edu. If you have problems
   locating it and/or no FTP access, mail me, and I'll post to
   comp.binaries.apple2 or send you a binscii mail.
   
     _________________________________________________________________
                                      
Last updated:   01-22-94 minor corrections
                12-24-93 first release

   Original author credits. Please note that these addresses are valid,
   and as Frank M. Lin has left the Apple II scene, do not contact him
   any more than necessary
   
   Internet: fmlin@netcom.com
   OggNet: Capsule, user #6 @ House of Games
   FutureNet: Capsule, user #9 @ Boycot BBS (#9@#8)
   IRC: potty, gogo