This from a guy who has been there done that.
The Duo Dock II & Plus both came with built-in Ethernet ports. All you need for
those machines is an AAUI converter ($15 from eBay). Alternately, if she has an
original Duo Dock, she can also get a Nubus Ethernet card ($20). She may want
to get a Nubus Ethernet card anyway since she can get one new which will
negotiate a 100bT network ($150). Depending on what she wants to use the
network for, this may be overkill, especially since Nubus based Macs can't
really achieve 100bT, but instead around 30-40bT. As compared to the built-in
Ethernet which can achieve only about 10bT. To use Apple's built-in Ethernet
she needs no special software. However, she will need a specific driver for any
Ethernet card she might use, either available with the card or downloadable
from the card makers web site. My setup was actually a little different. My IS
guys used an Ethernet to SCSI device. I don't really know why they did this as
I don't think that the transfers are any faster than 10bT via SCSI than through
the built-in port. The En/SC way also involves more software and is a little
more complicated. I'd try to go the first route -- HOWEVER, she must know that
she can't do this alone. She will need her system administrator to assign her
an IP address and set her up on the network.
You should know that unless there are other Macs already on the network and
unless she has a really nice IS department she faces a long battle ahead.
Corporate IS departments hate Macs and want to have nothing to do with having
them connected to the network. And, if you are fortunate enough to win such a
connection battle, they will blame your Mac everytime something screws up on
the network which will never actually have anything to do with your Mac.
Ethernet is the only way to do file transfers cross-platform. Microsoft Word
Docs do not need to be converted to use cross platform. First of all she should
upgrade to 7.6.1 which runs great on the Duo (as does 8.1). Then, if you put a
Word document on a PC disk, or copy to your Mac via a network, once you insert
the PC disk in your Mac and/or double click it, Microsoft Word for the Mac will
be able to recognize and open it keeping all of the attributes created by its
PC counterpart. The reverse is true as well, you just have to give it back on a
PC disk (Macs can read and write PC). This is true for any MS Word document (it
is one of the only things I like about Microsoft). All of this assumes she is
running a recent operating system and the latest version of Microsoft office.
If she insists on keeping OS 7.5, she MUST at least upgrade to 7.5.5 available
free for download from Apple. Depending on the version of MS she is using, she
can download a variety of converters from MS to handle the conversion from
newer versions of MS software to her older version, keeping most of the
attributes intact.
I handily ran Netscape Navigator 4.x without any problems on my Duo. I only use
Netscape's eMail client and I find it does everything I need. If she is
connecting to an Ethernet network that allows access to the internet or has an
in house eMail system, her IS department will make her use a specific eMail
client and will set her up for its use. Only is they use something so obscure
that it has no Mac version will it become a problem for her.
The best database package around is FileMaker Pro. It is both Mac and Win
based, is very easy to use and can easily import and export files to and from
any database. I'm not sure, but I know it can convert Excel spreadsheets
directly into Filemaker and may be able to do the same thing with MS Access
(for which there is no Mac counterpart).
ken wrote:
> Hi,
> I have a friend who wants to know how to hook up her Duo 280c to a PC
> network. She has the DuoDock which I assume comes with an ethernet point.
> Any ideas what other software and hardware she might need?
> Or..
> Is that any other way to do file transfers? Stuff like Word docs,
> Spreadsheets etc? She is running OS7.5, is there a way to convert the
> latest Word docs(either win or Mac versions) to be read on her Duo?
> And..
> What internet suite would you all recommend? Browser, email client,
> newsgroup reader..? How about text/database packages, there are other
> options out there besides Windows right? Which would you all go for, based
> on price as well as functions?
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