Can data... via floppy disk... be translated from apple laptop to i.b. m desktop computer.any added detail will be wellcome. Thanks

Any data that is put on any sort of media (ie floppy) is in a language recognized only(for the most part) by the program that wrote said media.
If you make a floppy on Win 95, using the program "flip", then any computer in the world can decipher it, if they have 'flip' on there computer.
Just like a floppy of Adobe files needs Adobe to read it, or a Windows Media File need the Windows Media Player to play it.

Blackstone, hi, dave is right. I'd also would like to add that with special software, you can still read disk formatted on a MAC computer- for example- in a WINDOWS-based computer.

The best software for this kind of purpose is CONVERSION PLUS from dataviz at

http://www.dataviz.com/products/conversionsplus/index.html

I have been a big fan of CONVERSION PLUS for many years, and it's work superbly for me :D 8)