Reading a Newton formatted card with Windows?

August 25, 2005 6:57 AM

I have a 4mb Newton flash storage card, a PC with a pcmcia slot and a Mac. Is there any way to retrieve the data from the card onto aforementioned Mac?

I've managed to get the card to mount, so it appears as the X drive in my computer. Is there any way to now get the data off the card and onto my mac?

If anyone can solve this puzzle, then you have the right to call yourself the King of the Techies :)

posted by derbs to computers & internet (5 answers total)

Burn the data from the X drive onto a CD and sneakernet that over to the Mac.

(You could also set up networking on the machines and connect them with a crossover cable but it seems like more of a headache than necessary for 4mb of data. The exact steps would require us to know what OS versions you're running on both the PC and the Mac--if you wanna go that route, post a followup.)
posted by bcwinters at 7:59 AM on August 25, 2005

I don't think that will work. Newton flash cards didn't use ATA as far as I can remember. Find a friend that still has one?

In a pinch, I've got a 2100 and can help you out. I'm pretty sure there's an easier way, though. I'll look for it when I have a bit more time.
posted by RikiTikiTavi at 10:04 AM on August 25, 2005

yeah the trouble is the way the card is formatted for the Newton. I can double click on the X drive, but windows just says "Disk is not formatted" or something like that.

Would OSX be able to read it if i were to buy an external usb PC card drive?
posted by derbs at 10:18 AM on August 25, 2005

Not this way.

You'll sync it with the mac (as if it was in OS9)

http://stevenf.com/software/newten/

Newton Wiki
http://tools.unna.org/wikiwikinewt/index.php/HomePage
http://tools.unna.org/wikiwikinewt/index.php/NewtonConnectivityCD

Newton Connection
http://dettmer.maclab.org/newton/150.html
posted by filmgeek at 11:42 AM on August 25, 2005

Yeah, obviously you'd want to just sync it--but I'm assuming you don't have the Newton itself, right?
posted by RikiTikiTavi at 2:14 PM on August 25, 2005