Hello Everybody,
As I mentioned yesterday, I have returned to the fold after having been gifted with a //c Plus. Aside from some cludgy keys, the computer seems to be functioning well, except for the disk drive.
It doesn't seem the work properly, though currently I do not have any disks of he appropriate format (in fact, I have just a single PC 1.44). Whenever I insert the disk, the drive does not "latch". I have to remove the disk with a paper clip. I did open the computer up (gosh, I miss the way we once made computers!) and removed the drive and got it to latch that way, but once it was reassembled the problem returned.
Since this machine is really going to be used for BASIC programming, I wonder if I should simply find another to store data. Esternal drive? One of these new-fangled "emulated drives"? Serial transfer?
Sort of stuck here.
Robert
In post #1, 'astro_rob' wrote:
' .... removed the drive and got it to latch that way, but once it was reassembled the problem returned "
Uncle Bernie comments:
I have no Apple IIc+, but this seems to be a mechanical problem that could be solved when paying attention to where the enclosure (shell) components interact / interfere with the floppy drive, especially with the "eject" button.
If you can't solve this riddle, you could unplug the useless internal drive and use an external floppy emu instead. Some little mods may be needed to have both drive enables available on the floppy disk connector on the back side - I never looked into that, but consulting the Apple IIc schematics would help. Then you would need to configure the floppy emu such that it would emulate a floppy drive on device #1 and maybe a 'SmartPort' HDD (or a second floppy drive) on device #2.
As the Apple IIc (the earlier one withput the "plus") had a 5.25" internal floppy drive, the Apple II+ broke with the DISK II compatibility and none of the ~3000 software titles for Apple II on 5.25" floppy disks could be used --- you can't fold a 5.25" floppy disk and stuff it into that 3.5" slot ;-)
I think this may be the main reason why the Apple IIc+ never took off.
- Uncle Bernie
Hello!
I actually got the "carriage" to seat properly after some work. It was frozen in the up position.
However, eject wouldn't work, and the screen was putting out a series of "M=00" code, with the 00 being random two digit numbers.
I think the drive may have reached its end. There are signs of humidity damage (darn you, ever pervasive H2O!). I still am able to type on the keyboard, though I don't remember a single one of my test routines. "Hello World" code works, of course.
I do love the design here.
I suppose I need to begin the search for a replacement drive.
Cheers!
The 3.5" floppy drives used in the IIc Plus are the same as used in early Macs, and are known to require some maintenance. Here's a good video to watch that illustrates the process of disassembling the drive, cleaning and relubricating it. The work isn't difficult, and these drives have proven to be surprisingly resilient.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LWfjsvc8OA
The eeject failing in those 3.5 drives is usually caused by the gears which actuate the mechanish crumbling to peices. Replacements are available. The 2nd case is sometimes the drives get all gummed up with lubricant inside as over the years the lube hardens and turns to varnish. Drives with this issue need to be cleaned and re-lubed.
In post #3, 'astro_rob' wrote:
" I do love the design here. "
Uncle Bernie comments:
If you mean the design of the Apple IIc (IIc+, too), you are spot on.
The Apple IIc is considered to be one of the icons of 20th Century industrial design.
A complete Apple IIc with the Apple monitor and its stand is on permanent exhibit here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinakothek_der_Moderne
The design of the Apple IIc was created by the German design company "Frog Design" under Hartmut Esslinger and his team, who developed the "Snow White" design language that was applied to the IIc, but they did start from an earlier design concept by Rob Gemmell. (Do not confuse the "Snow White" with just the color choice, it's actually coming from the Brother's Grimm Fairy Tales, "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all...", so when applied to computers, it's referring to the quest for the most beautiful computer you could ever make).
Frog Design continued to work for Apple and NeXT and also designed the early Macs. Here is a link to an overview for their work, a must read for every Apple aficionado:
https://www.theverge.com/design/2019/6/26/18758789/apple-mac-design-snow-white-frog-polk-photo-essay
Enjoy !
- Uncle Bernie