Monthly Archives: December 2009

Galleries (updated)

(Note, I deleted the previous post, as my comments don’t apply now) I added two new pages for my photo galleries – they link to existing galleries on Google’s Picasa or, if you prefer, my Flickr account. These plugins seemed to work a little better than the NextGEN plugin I was playing with. I’ve also added two links down at the bottom of the page that will take you directly to the sites. I’ll leave them there until I’m confident the plugins work as advertised – that’s not a comment about the plugin authors, but about my limited WordPress abilities.

I started with photos of the ProFile HDD I was working with in previous entries, and I hope to add more content in the next few days, so enjoy!

* There doesn’t seem to currently be a method for selectively presenting certain albums, while filtering out others, so if you browse the Flickr stuff, you’ll also get my other non-Apple II related photos. Nothing offensive (I hope), but it’s not all Apple stuff.

Apple III: Plugging in the ProFile

What better way to spend a snowy day off than playing with your Apple III?  I can’t think of any.  I installed the ProFile interface card, connected it up to the drive, said a prayer (I do that a lot with these things) and powered it up.  Considering the age and sensitivity often attributed to Seagate’s ST-506 hard disk, I was pleasantly surprised to see (and hear – wow, it’s loud!) the drive spin up and the red Ready light glowing steadily.  It took more than a minute to grind its way through its start up diagnostics, but it does get there.

ProFile I/O card in slot 4

ProFile I/O card in slot 4, UPIC on the right in slot 1

ProFile card mounted in the Apple III

ProFile card mounted in the Apple III

The next step was to check whether the Apple III could see and communicate with the drive.  Booting up the System Utilities brought me more good news.  Not only did I not have to go through the driver patching process required to load new drivers into the System disk, but the drive happily supplied its contents to the screen when requested.

Profile in the Device list

Profile in the Device list

Profile file listing

Profile file listing

It appears that the Catalyst program has been installed on the ProFile (along with a ton of other software), so I think that’s my next step.  The Apple III can’t actually boot to the ProFile, so I have to learn how to access the programs.  I’m sure its an easy procedure (in fact most of this restoration has gone surprisingly well), but I don’t know how… yet.

Apple III with Sider

Apple III with ProFile

Apple III: Next Step, Mass Storage

The ProFile was Apple’s first external hard drive and was developed for the business-class Apple III line. After the failure of the Apple III to catch on, Apple re-released the ProFile in 5 and 10 megabyte versions for their next big business flop, the Apple Lisa.

ProFile 5MB Hard Drive

ProFile 5MB Hard Drive

Given the outlandish prices Apple III hardware and software fetch on eBay these days, I was quite happy to snatch up this ProFile I/O controller for a song – well, okay, the Buy It Now was $19.99.  I’ve had a 5MB ProFile drive in storage for quite some time now, as I didn’t have a matching controller, so I was looking forward to firing it up.   Unfortunately, I discovered I’ve misplaced (or perhaps never had in the first place), the cable to connect the drive.

ProFile Controller Card

ProFile Controller Card

Based on the information in this Apple tech note, I think I can use a “standard” parallel cable, but I’ll need one with male DB-25 connectors at each end.  There are plenty of places online that will sell me one for cheap, but sometimes I prefer the friendly face-to-face service (and occasional comical expression when I explain what I want) I get from my local custom cable place.  They’ve always been great in the past, so I’ll pay them a visit tomorrow…

As you can see, this particular unit isn’t in very good cosmetic condition: improper case reassembly has resulted in stress cracks, and the oxidation on the metal components leads me to believe it was stored somewhere humid for a time before I got it.  Additionally, the “silvering” has worn off the badges.   The important thing, though is whether it works, and though I can’t yet plug it in to my Apple III for testing, it at least powers up successfully and I can hear the massive 5.25″ Seagate ST-506 drive chugging away inside.

Stress Cracks

Stress Cracks

Corrosion

Corrosion

Worn badges

Worn badges