LinksToMac™ reads Links 386 DOS golf course disks and converts them to Links Pro for Macintosh courses. You simply insert the DOS disks into your Mac and LinksToMac™ does all the work for you. It will automatically find the 386 courses on DOS disks and ignore the older Links courses.
What You Need:
Any Macintosh.
2 Megs of free memory.
2 to 3 Megs of free disk space for each course you want to install.
System 6.05 or later.
Macintosh PC Exchange or similar INIT to enable your Mac to read DOS disks.
Super Drive
Links course disks containing a Links 386 course.
Using LinksToMac™
Links course disks come in a set of three high density floppy disks. These disks have Links 386, original Links and Microsoft Golf courses on them. Only the Links 386 courses will work on a Macintosh. You don't have to worry about it, though, because LinksToMac™ automatically searches the disks and finds the Links 386 courses to copy to your Mac. There are actually three files per course (one file on each floppy). LinksToMac™ expects to see one file on each disk so it prompts you for each disk. The disks are labeled 1, 2 and 3, so it should be pretty easy to get them in the right order. The three files will become one large file on the Macintosh hard drive after the conversion. You will be asked to enter the name of the course and the destination on the hard drive. Courses need to be in the Courses folder inside of the Links folder on your hard drive.
You can tell if your course disks have Links 386 courses on them by looking for file names that have an Underscore in them. For example, "PEBBLE_B.1" is the name on the first disk of the Pebble Beach disk set. PEBBLE_B.2 is on the second disk and PEBBLE_B.3 is on the third disk.
NOTE: LinksToMac version 1.09 or later will also use 386 courses that end in .00x such as BARTON.001 or courses ending in .x such as INNSBRO.1
A splash screen is the picture you see when you first start the game. The Links game uses a different splash screen each time you play a game (it doesn't necessarily match the game you are playing at the time). The splash screen is on the first disk and has a .SPL extension. This file will be transferred to your Mac and will have the name "Splash" appended to the name you give the golf course. Move this file into the Extras folder inside of the Links folder on your hard drive. Some courses have two splash screens. LinksToMac will transfer both of them and append the name, "2nd Splash" to the second one.
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What if I only have a two-disk course set?
This is a rare occurrence but you may have a Links 386 course that is on just two disks instead of three. Barton Creek is one example of this. It's a real strange one because the first part of the course is on disk 2 and the second part is on disk 1.
The solution is to turn on the option in LinksToMac for reading two disks (Allow Two-Disk Course Set under the Options Menu). Then when it asks you to insert the first course disk, insert disk #2. When it asks you to insert the second course disk, insert disk #1. Then when it asks you to insert the third disk, click on "No More Disks".
Note that since this is the exception rather than the rule, the "Allow Two-Disk Course Set" option will always reset itself back to the off condition when you quit LinksToMac.
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Where can I get Macintosh PC Exchange?
It is an Apple Computer product so you can get it anywhere they sell Mac Software. Also, it will be included with System 7.5. It is a Control Panel device that you install in your System Folder. When installed, and you insert a DOS floppy disk, a disk icon appears on the screen just as if it were a Mac disk and you have access to all of the files. It also allows you to format DOS disks.
NOTE: You can also use Access PC or DOS Mounter to read DOS disks. There are no known shareware or freeware programs that mount DOS disks at this time. (If you know of one, please let me know.)
Shareware
Now for a little begging... Just think of it this way - for just $10.00 (half the price of one course) you can have access to the complete library of Links 386 courses. I'd say that's a heck of a deal. So please take a few moments and print out the Shareware order/registration form and send in your 10 bucks today. I take cash, VISA, MasterCard, AMEX and checks. You will find a "Print Order Form..." item under the File Menu in LinksToMac™.
Note: we do not provide the courses.
Thanks for your support.
Rich Love
Carnation Software, Inc.
PO Box 608
Carnation, WA 98014
Online addresses:
America Online: RichLove
Compuserve: 76515,350
Applelink: Carnation
Internet: richlove@netcom.com
eWorld: RichLove
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Acknowledgments
LinksToMac was written with FutureBASIC and PG:PRO
Thanks to Zedcor for FutureBASIC and Staz Software for PG:PRO
Special thanks to Frank Turovich, Chris Stasny and Raoul Watson for putting up with me the last couple of years.
And thanks to the illusive Andy Gariepy for writing FutureBASIC.
Rich Love
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Legal Stuff
LinksToMac is a Copyrighted software product. Carnation Software, Inc. grants you the right to try this product out for 15 days. If after that time, if you continue to use LinksToMac, you must pay the $10.00 shareware fee.
LinksToMac may not be sold for profit without the express written permission of Rich Love and Carnation Software, Inc.
Carnation Software, Inc. cannot be held responsible for the operability of courses that are transferred to your Mac. However, we will make a reasonable attempt to help you if there are problems. No warranty is given or implied. Carnation Software, Inc. cannot be held responsible for damages resulting from the use of LinksToMac. Use at your own risk.
LinksToMac™ is a trademark of Carnation Software
Links is a trademark of Access Software.
Macintosh PC Exchange is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
Version History
8/11/94
1.0
Initial release to a selected few for feedback.
8/12/94
1.01
Added Cancel buttons in the disk prompt dialog box.
Timeout and warn user if can't read DOS disk.
8/13/94
1.02
Now also transfers Splash Screens.
8/13/94
1.03
If you canceled during the conversion process, LinksToMac would keep trying to read the first disk instead of proceeding to the next disk.
8/13/94
1.04
You would get a disk full error if you tried to type a course name that was too long.
8/15/94
1.05
Change name of splash screen file to "Splash" instead of "Extra (SplashScreen)" to avoid long file names.
Added pretty picture to LinksToMac window.
"About" window in LinksToMac would be invisible on B&W Macs.
Message would say "insert floppy" for a couple of seconds even though you had inserted it.
8/16/94
1.06
Changed window color to gray because buttons were too hard to see in version 1.05.
8/17/94
1.07
Also use course file names that end in .001 or .002 or .003
Check for more types of disk errors (including bad file on floppy) and report to user.
8/18/94
1.09
Also use course file names ending in .1 or .2 or .3
Don't use Splash if cannot find 386 course.
8/20/94
1.10
Will now transfer two splash screens if they are available on the first disk.
A splash screen of zerok size would be created if PC Exchanged not installed.
8/25/94
1.12
Added option to use a two-disk course set.
A splash screen of zerok size would be created if you Canceled during conversion.
