{"id":119,"date":"2006-04-18T16:24:22","date_gmt":"2006-04-18T21:24:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.vintagecomputing.com\/?p=119"},"modified":"2006-04-18T16:32:36","modified_gmt":"2006-04-18T21:32:36","slug":"rd-automation-taking-pre-orders-for-v2-apple-ii-compact-flash-ide-interface-card","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vintagecomputing.com\/index.php\/archives\/119\/rd-automation-taking-pre-orders-for-v2-apple-ii-compact-flash-ide-interface-card","title":{"rendered":"R&D Automation Taking Pre-orders for v2 Apple II Compact Flash \/ IDE Interface Card"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"CFFA\"<\/a>I’ve never been a huge fan of using emulators for any computer that I actually physically possess. The original hardware is almost always where it’s at<\/em> — the unique look, the feel, and even the smell of a machine all add to the “authentic” user experience (kinda makes me sound like a wine snob, doesn’t it?). But original hardware breaks over time and sometimes becomes irreplaceable since it’s no longer in production. That’s where people like Rich Dreher<\/a> step in with modern upgrades for vintage computers (for more on this phenomenon, check out my “New Tech for Old Computers & Game Systems<\/a>” list).<\/p>\n

Rich is now on the second revision of an impressive Apple II hardware add-on card<\/a> he designed called the “CFFA” that enables any Apple II system to use a compact flash card, IBM MicroDrive, or IDE hard drive for storage. While definitely not the first Apple II IDE interface I’ve seen (or owned), this is a very slick piece of hardware. Here’s a brief rundown of its features, taken from the official site<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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