Transferring Files from Tandy Model 102 to Mac

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I do a lot of work at home on the Mac that my wife and I have. It's a nice machine, and it's easier to use around the house than the PC laptop which I also have. I've been trying to figure out how to transfer files from the Model 102 to the Mac, and I've already gotten the hang of file transfers on the PC at school. I've learned what all the ports are, what all the cables are...

I already had a null modem cable, so what I needed was a cable to go from 25 pin to serial port cable on the Mac. That was harder said than done, but then (today) I lucked across one (after someone had told me that I could use the SCSI port for this... I don't think so. Anyway, with the null modem coming out of the RS-232 port on the M102, I hooked into the serial port on the Mac.

Here's where it gets a bit odd. I don't have a modem port, because i hve a Performa 6300. They have an internal modem that disables the modem port. So, that means that I had to use the printer port. No problem, disconnect the DeskWriter, connect the null modem cable.

Next, what software to use? This took a bit of playing, but ended up being (no surprise) easier than my earlier fiascos with the PC world. I knew that ClarisWorks had a communication application built into it, so I loaded that sucker on up. Maybe I would figure out what the hell needed doing, right?

First things first, in the Setting menu, set the connection to Serial Tool, and choose Printer Port. (If you can go in via the modem port, more power to ya).

I've found that I can't successfully use the same settings as recommended by Laptap.exe on the PC (that would be 88n1e, 9600 baud, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, and handshake of XON/XOFF enabled). Instead, I use "com:58n1e" when saving to the Mac from the Tandy, which means that I set the connection settings to 1200 baud, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, and handshake enabled.

I don't mess with the "terminal" part of the Settings menu, but I do go to the "file transfer" on Settings. For a protocol, I choose Text Tool, and that about covers it (I only send text files, so I don't mess with the rest).

Another thing that's important here.... In the Edit menu, got to Preferences and choose your defaults: serial tool connection, text tool file transfer... These set a few of your defaults. I don't know if they affect the previous settings (meaning, if I did this step first, would I have had to do the other ones?). I did them in this order, and that was that. Then, I saved this whoel communications document to a good location as stationary. That's in the "save as" part of the "file" menu... those in the Mac world know what I mean, I suppose.

Once that is set, I head over to the Session menu. The big deal here is to "Capture from Port" rather than from Screen. Then, I choose "Open Connection," and "Capture to File."

Okay, now, back to the file transfer. Head to the Tandy, where you press F3 (in while editing your text document), type "com:58n1e" without the quotes, and hit return. Words should show up on the screen of the ClarisWorks communication window.

You're done.

Of course, you now have to figure out how to edit the file you created (it asked you for a file name somewhere in there, right?). Double-clicking converted mine into a WP document in Claris, but that's not what I wanted. Instead, I opened SimpleText (well, really the ever-powerful Tex-Edit Plus) and just dragged the file on top of it and did my editing there. It's up to you. At least the file has been moved, that was the whole point of my learning how to do this.

Hope that sharing it has helped you out in your dealing with the Tandy Model 100/102/200 class of computers. I gotta say, I never thought it would be this easy (it really is easy, if I can learn it without a manual and just figure the pieces out) and I'm really happy that it is!

Ciao,

Michael Wittmann