My podiatrist brother is still managing his office practice with an AppleIIGS and Appleworks 3.0. He has his patient database on several 3.5 inch floppy disks. Is there a way to import/convert the data into an Appleworks or Excel file that could be used on a current PC (Windows XP) or Mac (OS X)?
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First I believe that you are saying that these are data base and not spread sheet files.
Yes, a database can be transfer over. How well I am not sure. Never used the programs on the other machines to import them. Does Excel have an import port for the OLD appleworks from the II/IIgs? Apple has come out with a newer one that is for Mac but the same name. Data base files are nothing more than text files.
If any one wants to corect me or add anything please feel fee to do so. I am sure many have worked with Excel and importing
You need a way to transport them. Using something like Cross talk, if you can find it. A null modem cable between the IIgs an the other machine. Each of these is more involed then a simple cable.
The easy way that I would choose would be to make back up copies of the disks. Have some one else that has a IIgs set up with a HD and a Zip /Sysquest or other media cart and transfer the files over to the zip cart. Once on 100meg you can take that to a Mac or IBM and put it on a CD. From there you can manipulate the data any way you want to. To see if is to your liking where the original data is still intacr if you need it.
There are other ways as well. But include buying something that may or may not work as planned. Like A CFFA card for the IIgs (Compact Flash that is turned in to solid state HD) Once you get the GS/OS on it load all the disks on it. You should be able to take the compact flash card out of the IIgs and to a reader that is on an IBM or Mac and D/L the files you need. Not sure if you would have to run classic first on the Mac first to read it before OSX would be able to see it.
If it is only a few disks say 12 or so I could do it. The main thing is you want to back everything up. So if something gets lost in the mail or the disks damaged that you still hae the data.
Hope this helps or gives you a few more options.
Take Care,
George
Well, text files with length headers, delimiters, etc. So there will likely need to be some kind of export action taken from AppleWorks (to get them into a more "pure" text form). Alternatively, a converter filter that strips off the length/delimiter/whatever gorp is in there to begin with could be written on the target computer (Mac/IBM).
Once the various fields are converted to a CSV (Comma Separated Values) file, Excel will be able to import it and show it as a spreadsheet.
You might take George up on his offer. I charge for it.
(http://retrofloppy.com)
George,
Thanks for your suggestions. I do have a Zip drive that I had used with a SuperMac; I wonder if I might be able to connect it to the IIGS, and load the files onto a zip cartridge. I'll see what I can do. If I run into difficulty, I may take you up on your kind offer.
Regards,
Chad
Hi,
I do not know what a super mac is (PPC, G3, G4 G5)? Does it have a 3.5 floppy? If you have a 3.5 drive then you could read the IIgs disks right on to the mac.. You might have to use the Classic OS to read them. Sometimes an older Mac is handy to have.
The IIgs can connect to a zip SCSI drive with a SCSI card in the IIgs. You would have to put the GS/OS 6.0 or 6.01 on the zip cart if you do not have the a HD to to dasiy chain off of.
Geo