Step aside CiderPress, a new tool is being developed for the MAC by Jon Lasser.
For a long time now MAC users have struggled in dealing with ProDOS formatted CF Card. Yes, you can use CiderPress assuming you can navigate its non-intuitive UI commands and menus. That is IF you can get CiderPress to run on the MAC in the first place. It’s a native Windows program. So WINE or some other kind of emulator is required. We also discuss this issue on the ReActiveMicro Wiki page for the MicroDrive/Turbo and offer some suggestions. The best one actually being to use CiderPress on a PC running Windows. It seems very odd that to access your Apple II from another Apple product requires great effort. Also odd is that for the past 20 years no one has done anything about it.
Since about 2006 ReActiveMicro has contacted several programmers to have this situation addressed. We even offered to pay whoever was willing to help. All turned down the opportunity to help the Community in its time of need. It’s been frustratingly fruitless… till now. Jon Lasser contacted Henry and started to discuss the issues with CiderPress on the MAC and how he might be able to create a simple but powerful program. It would allow access to the ProDOS formatted CF Card, as CiderPress does. However it will run natively on the MAC platform. Finally some love is shown to the MAC users. We are more than glad to help Jon with his efforts in any way we can. And we wish there were more Community members out there willing to help in the ways Jon has, to take on a project for the greater good, and to make it their own. We still need better diagnostic and testing tools. If you’re willing to help, please contact us. We’re more than willing to provide hardware and even offer payment for your efforts.
You can read more about Jon’s project here at his own blog:
https://twoideas.org/2020/01/02/the-joys-of-retrocomputing-also-announcing-a-microdrive-turbo-image-tool/
Also related, we’re glad to announce that the prominent Community member, Peter Ferrie, has helped with the MicroDrive/Turbo project. He has been successful in editing the MicroDrive’s IIe firmware so it now works on all Apple II, II+, IIe unenhanced, and IIe enhanced systems.
Visit the RM Wiki page for the MicroDrive/Turbo to download the new file if you want to burn your own ROM. Or you can visit the RM Store to buy the replacement ROM today!
$25 for the new Apple II, II+, IIe unenhanced, and IIe enhanced firmware for your MicroDrive/Turbo mass storage controller card.
https://www.reactivemicro.com/product/reactivemicro-drive-turbo-iie-firmware/
And as always, be sure to check out our Wiki for more information on projects or for support. And be sure to subscribe to our news feed to be the first to know about our next release!
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