LisaList2

• What is the easiest way to convert files from LisaWrite to file formats that a modern computer can use?
• How should I move files from the LOS 3.1 environment to a modern Macintosh? I can use a 400K floppy disk, but they'll be in the LOS format and Mac OS 9 cannot read them.

The Lisa-to-Macintosh Migration kit was an Apple product that ran on LOS and would convert many 7/7 documents to Macintosh documents (on a Mac disk).

https://www.macintoshrepository.org/23298-lisa-to-macintosh-migration-tools

LisaWrite files are converted to (an early version of) MacWrite files, which still might take some fiddling to convert to something current.
LisaDraw files are converted to MacDraw (predecessor to MacDraw II and MacDraw Pro).

IIRC, the files that have no contemporary Mac equivalent are converted to text.

The conversion isn't perfect (particularly in the case of the Lisa's equivalent of OLE which allowed embedding documents from multiple 7/7 tools in one document) but useful and probably worth a try in this case.

Since the ProFile with the original documents may not have much lifetime left, I suggest the first priority is making a backup.

HTH & good luck!

A few screenshots.

Over the last couple of years, I've picked up 5 Lisas and 8 ProFile hard drives. It's been a great learning experience, thanks to several members here and elsewhere.

One of my recent purchases is a ProFile hard drive that worked for the usual 10 minutes before its RIFA capacitor let loose the magic smoke. That was long enough to verify the drive's functionality, confirm that it was already in the LOS 3.1 format, and see that it contains dozens of documents from the late 1980s. Most from LisaWrite, but others as well.

Interestingly, the documents were created by a college professor in Virginia. He was teaching courses about Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, as well as math. His course outlines are all on this particular ProFile drive - along with lots of significant personal and family-related documents. Truly amazing that this gentleman was teaching classes about AI and ML in the 1980s. It's a treasure trove of information.

Google searches lead me to believe that he's still alive and kicking at 79 years young. I plan to reach out and offer to send him these documents, but I would like to retrieve and translate them into modern file formats so they are accessible to him.

Questions:

• What is the easiest way to convert files from LisaWrite to file formats that a modern computer can use?
• How should I move files from the LOS 3.1 environment to a modern Macintosh? I can use a 400K floppy disk, but they'll be in the LOS format and Mac OS 9 cannot read them.

Advice would be greatly appreciated.

From fri0701's post:

I've been working with LisaEm and BLU a bit over the last few days...

Just found an AppleNet conflict with their system with one at CHM: https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102638272

B08B831250030    00102092   83125    2/5      
A3356088            00102092   3356   2/5   A6S0300      CHM

I also noticed a huge overlap in the Applenets at the Texas plant on Nov 18 1983 and Oct 26 1984 (A friday..)

The 1983 AppleNets range from 00107325 to at least 00107435
The 1984 AppleNets range from 00107203 to at least 00107772

So there's at least 110 AppleNets that are overlapped.

Perhaps with some more work we can spot all these overlaps and remove them from the calculation? Perhaps plotting out the "address space" of each factory at each day would be a good place to start.

PS: Something magic happened on June 6th, 1984 at the Texas factory. The system SNs and AppleNets aligned SN A4158122 AppleNet 00104122, 4158108 00104108, A4158066 00104066...

-J

Here is a European Lisa 1 that was upgraded to Lisa 2 spec, for reference.

Model A6SB100P - Memory A6SB108.
"Assembled in Ireland"

B08B832640254
00106121
83264

Pictures: https://imgur.com/a/U4Zfs9R
eBay listing: https://www.ebay.com/itm/156013277663

Here's something a bit interesting: A graph of the Lisas we've observed and their build date.

The green circle is the start of normal production. Yellow is the first observed 2/10, and red is the first observed 2/5 model A6S0300.

I suppose the display will not turn on because the video card has some fault...

Do you know any procedure to repair it, or do I directly change the capacitors?

Generally, Lisa board problems can be diagnosed to individual components, but it depends on the equipment and time you have available.

I recommend you make a separate thread/topic regarding the display problem; let us know if the filament glows in the tube and examine the video board for obvious problems such as scorched areas or burned parts. Before removing the top cover, you make sure you are aware of the potentially fatal hazards of imploding vacuum tubes and high voltages and take suitable care.

Since there is some confusion about the combination of parts in your Lisa, you may find connectors unplugged etc. from whomever was working on it. What kind of hard drive is in the drive cage?

Oooh, thank you very much.  It is very useful information.  According to what you have told me, the motherboard is 2/5.  I have to disconnect the hard drive.  If I leave it connected, it doesn't even turn on.  I suppose the display will not turn on because the video card has some fault...

Do you know any procedure to repair it, or do I directly change the capacitors?

On the I/O board I have seen that it has two tracks deliberately cut.  It is normal?  Should I fix them?

1) The board shown is a Lisa 2/5 I/O Board, not a 2/10 I/O Board.

It will work in a 2/10 regardless, but you should check that your motherboard matches the chassis harness as these are not interchangeable between the 2/5 and 2/10.

A 2/10 Motherboard does not have a back panel parallel port (it has only two DB-25s for serial ports). A 2/10 chassis harness has one 26 pin and one 20 pin ribbon cable in the drive cage.

A 2/5 Motherboard has a back panel parallel port (making three DB-25s, including the two for serial ports). A 2/5 chassis harness has two 26 pin ribbon cables in the drive cage, and if it has a 3.5" floppy drive, a "Lite Adapter" board connecting the drive to one of the cables.

2) The cut under C34 was done at the factory by Apple; it is normal, so you should not bridge the cut.

3) The cut under C33 is the style of an Apple modification, but Apple did not add large capacitors to the rear of any boards AFAIK, so there is something odd about that, can you provide a picture of the entire topside of the board?

4) There are likely to be wires 'tacked' on the component side; Apple made some modifications in that manner too.

5) Aside from repairs, some boards may exist that have non-Apple modifications -- if there are any, they are rare. An exception is that there are numerous 512K memory boards that have been user upgraded to be 2MB boards.

edit - added memory board exception

Hello.  I have bought an Apple Lisa 2/10, which does not turn on the CRT, and with an external display it indicates error 57 (disk Drive).  On the I/O board I have seen that it has two tracks deliberately cut.  It is normal?  Should I fix them?