compatibility

(vulgar is as vulgar does)

Easy answer = Get an ethernet card for yer LC. You can get them on eBay for 10-20 quid (Look for: "LC PDS slot", "10 Base-T", "RJ-45" (not "BNC"), preferably Apple branded (= no drivers req'd)), or I have mine sitting in my parent's Mac at home doing nothing (worked great for Performa 5200 -> Powerbook G4 transfer). You'll also need a crossover ethernet cable, which you can get from any computer store. Getting the software side working is very easy.

Otherwise get a USB- SCSI adapter, or an ethernet-Local talk bridge (around £80, quite complicated).

Alternatively, you could take your LC to work, plug it into any Beige mac on the network with a standard Apple printer cable, and transfer files across by turning on File Sharing on the LC (=v.v. easy), then burn to CD.

eg: These.

Responses to a similar problem are here, though I haven't read it.

OR IMMEDIATELY TAK E THE IMAC BACK AND BUY A PC BECAUSE IMACS ARE FULL OF PROBLEMS

I think Graham's right about Ethernet being the easiest and cheapest thing.

1. Get the card.

2. Put it in. (take off case of LC and snap card into place)

3. Restart.

4. Connect Ethernet "crossover" cable (it must be "crossover", not the normal kind).

5. Open File Sharing Control Panel of spiffy new computer. Specify any old folder to share. Turn "sharing" on.

6. Open the Chooser of old machine, select "Appletalk" in the left pane, and your new machine should show up on the right-hand side. Double-click it, and you'll be allowed to connect to its shared folder, which will show up on your desktop.

7. Drag all your files over.

I think that's it.

If you have an old serial printer, just buy a serial-USB converter. Then using that and your old printer cable you can connect the two machines and transfer everything via a very slow Appletalk connection. Then you don't have an ethernet card you're not going to use, and you can use your printer with your new machine.

ok so is a stylewriter II a "serial printer"?

(i never actually turn my LC off cuz there's a recurrent electrical fault with the on- switch, and chances are it won't turn on again; it's actually a minor thing to repair but a pain cuz my repair guy lives in a bus- less part of the holloway road, and a bit pointless if i'm immediately switching to a new computer)

A PC is out of the question mike. I want to kill myself abt fifteen seconds after starting work on one. Without fail.

Yes, it is, Mark.

kewl! double kewl, in fact, since that proves the micro anvika fuXoR was LYING as well as being snotty

thanks everyone i owe you all a cybeer

I always assumed Localtalk was one of the things you couldn't do with a USB-serial adaptor, but I'm probably wrong.

What did the MA fuXor say exactly? They wouldn't let me even touch an iPod, even when I handed over my £250 MD walkman as security. (I was looking particularly homeless at the time though)

i asked if there was any way i could link the lc and d2 to the [whatever mac we were looking at, some gleamy laptop deal] and he said "No": I said what abt to an imac or a G3, he said the same. Could I drive a stylewriter II from it? No, not w/o a an adapter that wd cost more than a new printer. Then he said: "You are always punished for having old technology..." (which is more true than snooty on the page, but vice versa as he said it).

Wow! I would've thought Localtalk would be OK, but it seems Graham is OTM.

You COULD just make sure you get a floppy drive, and then transfer that way.

Another way would be to get online with your LC, upload the files you want to someplace temporarily, then download them onto the iMac. No no equipment that way.

Must find intermediary computer with serial and usb port = fairly rare. Best answer = borrow zip drive & plug into LC (if software will support!?) and then transfer to zip or better jaz disks. Alt, borrow external SCSI hard drive (except, oh shit!, there is no SCSI on new macs either, eh!?) and transfer with that, perhaps thru intermediate computer. Finally, connect LC modem to internal modem of new compu using phone cable, then ftp.

From what I think you are saying you can buy a cheap adapter for normal appletalk to USB port. Then its all good at a meg a second tranfer. Aside from being too slow Appletalk was and still is a great protocal.

i. D2 is an external SCSI hard drive, made by LaCie if I recall? USB->SCSI adaptor = £60-£75.

ii. USB -> Serial (Poss. Localtalk) adaptor = £75 (Keyspan Twin - I don't know of another) = Cost of new printer these days.

ii. Borrow SCSI Zip/Jaz/etc for LC, then USB/Firewire Zip/Jaz/etc for iMac

iv. Floppy/Modem cable = Also an option, though slow/complicated

v. Other option = Borrow a computer with ethernet and serial (= Later model Beige Powermacs, and equivalent PowerBooks), which could network to both.

Mark S I never pictured you to be the iMAC bloke. :-)

Sinker reeks of iMac from every pore.