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Switcher/file tranfer question

peevies

peevies

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 15, 2006
38
1
MA
Hello!
I bought my IntelG5 imac in Feb '06(OS X) and have no regrets whatsoever - LOVE macs!!! I still own my first computer(Mar '98) - a Compaq Presario running Windows 98(SORRY:eek: )The old PC can't burn CDs or DVDs- just has a floppy drive and a CD-ROM. My question is: Can I transfer some .jpeg and .bmp files using an external floppy drive to my imac? I have just a few precious images of my deceased Dad that I scanned from a borrowed scrapbook long ago, and really would like to get them out. I have a 1st Gen shuffle, but that only works as a flash drive back to Win2000 or so. I have been looking at a SmartDisk FDUSBTM2 external USB floppy disk drive on the net as a solution if it would work. I'm willing to dump $25 on one(or similar) just to get those pics and all the stupid stuff I really want out of the old PC and into the mac. Maybe there is a cheaper or easier solution, but does anyone know if that would work? Thanks in advance for any suggestions! Peevies
 
Can you email them to yourself? That'd be the easiest in my opinion. Otherwise go buy a cheap USB flashdrive. I would recommend buying at least a 1gb flashdrive cause they are so useful to have (I'm assuming the Compaq has USB on it).
 
What about just plugging the Mac into the Pc via USB cable, should work. Think i have done something similar (but i cant quite remember if it worked or not)
 
peevies said:
Hello!
I bought my IntelG5 imac in Feb '06(OS X) and have no regrets whatsoever - LOVE macs!!! I still own my first computer(Mar '98) - a Compaq Presario running Windows 98(SORRY:eek: )The old PC can't burn CDs or DVDs- just has a floppy drive and a CD-ROM. My question is: Can I transfer some .jpeg and .bmp files using an external floppy drive to my imac? I have just a few precious images of my deceased Dad that I scanned from a borrowed scrapbook long ago, and really would like to get them out. I have a 1st Gen shuffle, but that only works as a flash drive back to Win2000 or so. I have been looking at a SmartDisk FDUSBTM2 external USB floppy disk drive on the net as a solution if it would work. I'm willing to dump $25 on one(or similar) just to get those pics and all the stupid stuff I really want out of the old PC and into the mac. Maybe there is a cheaper or easier solution, but does anyone know if that would work? Thanks in advance for any suggestions! Peevies
Click to expand...

I can't remember for sure if USB pen drives work with Win98. I know they do with Windows ME, so it's a safe bet. That'd have a lot higher capacity and be easier and cheaper.

Does it have an ethernet card? Modern Macs have auto-sensing, autoconfiguring ethernet ports, which means that you don't need a special cable to hook two machines directly together. This would (imho) be the surest trick, and ethernet cards are $15 at Wally World if you don't have one.
 
usb drive, borrow a cdr drive an hook it up temporarily, you could put the stuff on an ftp, email, store it in a gmail account and download, external harddrive...ect
 
Hmmmm....after firing up the PC (It took 5 minutes hahahahaha!:rolleyes: ) I think it has an ethernet port on the back and my crappy old control panel said under "network" that it has a PCI Fast Ethernet DEC21143 Based Adapter -whatever the heck that means! (sorry- I didn't know much about that thing either) It is no longer connected to the internet - I was using dial up before. I am now using DSL with the mac. Maybe a USB connection would work somehow? It's easy for me to overlook the obvious. I apologize for the lack of knowledge here. Thank God I chose a mac for my upgrade!
 
Thanks for the advice so far. I found a site that sells a USB pen drive for $15 that has a CD Rom driver for windows 98 and supports mac 8.6 or higher. The old PC does have USB. Would that possibly work? It seems insane to be thinking about a FLOPPY drive...might as well find my old 8-track tapes in the basement! :eek:
 
network it

Do a search on here or Apple for "pc to mac with ethernet cable" or something to that effect. Basically you would look for instructions to connect two computers with an ethernet cable, then simply move the files.

CAUTION
Your Mac may not be able to "read" some of the files on your windows system. And depending on how you handle them....

You have been using your Mac for a year already, so you probably already know this. Just thought I would share my whole months experience with you. I am sure there is a way to connect the two with a ethernet cable, I just have not had the need to myself, yet. Good luck.

Hope this helps

PS My PC is still running Windows 98SE as well. And still functioning well (as well as a windows machine can). I refuse to ask a software vender for permission to upgrade my personal computer. If Apple ever decides to adopt a similar policy I guess I will have to learn Linux. Sorry for the little rant.

fount this thread that may help a little
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/265729/
 
Thanks! I am learning new things everyday. I'll research as much as I can. Maybe the pen drive or ethernet transfer are the way to go. At least I've gotten good info here. The mac is so much less frustrating and pleasing to use than anything else I've used before. I'll try something soon. :) Peevies
 
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