<On the other hand, one of the outer tracks - the one that contains the
< directory - is accessed much more frequently than any other. It is ther
< that I have experienced the greatest number of failures.
Oh so true.
As mentioned any "open" drive like floppies and older carts the end points
of the travel is more suspect than the bulk of the length.
Allison
< I have a couple of cards that are exactly the reverse of what you plan.
< They are 3.5" form factor, and built by WDC for Compaq. I can only
< conclude that Compaq needed more IDEs than were available at one time,
< early on.
Going from IDE to MFM/RLL is trivial. scrounge up a 100x ATA bus
controller and hang it on. Same idea as the article using the xt 8bit
1002.
The original plan was to figure out the protocal the parallel port
SQ270 (internally ide) disk uses.
Allison
I remember someone asking here about VLB ethernet cards (long time ago)...
So, here: http://www.ahhz.com/dspecial.htm
10 pack for $20 :)
af
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Adam Fritzler |
afritz(a)delphid.ml.org | Animals who are not penguins can
afritz(a)iname.com | can only wish they were.
http://delphid.ml.org/~afritz/ | -- Chicago Reader
http://www.pst.com/ | 15 Oct 1982
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On <http://webreview.com/wr/pub/98/07/31/frames/index.html>,
Michael Swaine (of Dr Dobbs early days) writes:
>
>When I first started writing full-time about computer
>technology back in 1981, I worked with some suspicious
>characters who have gone on to become legends in their own
>minds. Folks like John Markoff, now holding the New York
>Times to its well-known high standard of accuracy on all
>topics technical, and John Dvorak, ubiquitous curmudgeon
>and loose cannon on the media deck. At that time Dvorak
>was launching a new column called Inside Track, and he
>explained to me the hidden significance of the title:
>
> "On disk platters," he said, "the inside track
> is the least reliable one."
>
>It was a very popular column.
Of which ancient systems was this true?
Today's CD-ROMs are the opposite, I've heard: as the head positions
to the outermost area of the disc, it tends to push dust along the
guides, and many CD drives accumulate a pile of dust out there,
preventing it from reaching "the end."
- John
Just a quick reninder:
Friday August 28, tequilaberries, 6:00pm
Please let me know if you are planning to attend, I'll be there early to
reserve a table.
Francois
-------------------------------------------------------------
Visit the desperately in need of update
Sanctuary at: http://www.pclink.com/fauradon
Got it set. I got impatient and used GSETUP31 to initially set the
scrambled date, time and drive types to get it to boot and found the
setup program from Mem-Tel on the hard drive (duh). I copied it off for
future use so if anyone needs it just ask.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Russ Blakeman
RB Custom Services / Rt. 1 Box 62E / Harned, KY USA 40144
Phone: (502) 756-1749 Data/Fax:(502) 756-6991
Email: rhblake(a)bbtel.com or rhblake(a)bigfoot.com
Website: http://members.tripod.com/~RHBLAKE/
ICQ UIN #1714857
AOL Instant Messenger "RHBLAKEMAN"
* Parts/Service/Upgrades and more for MOST Computers*
--------------------------------------------------------------------
< > Here's a question: what _obsolete_ computer would you choose for this
< > miracle machine, assuming you have unlimited power?
<
< I'd get out my best documentary camera, place an Altair on the catapult
< and then film you guys trying to catch it. :-)
I'd want to be the one pulling the catapult release. ;)
But, before I did that one it would be a TI99/4a... nice cpu hobbled by a
really bad design.
Allison
The only problem with the TI99/4a would be that it isn't that heavy.
Something like a TRS-80 or something with a CRT would be a little bit more
eventful. Not only do you get the fun, you get the fireworks, too :-)
--
-Jason
(roblwill(a)usaor.net)
ICQ#-1730318
----------
> From: Allison J Parent <allisonp(a)world.std.com>
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Re: Shame, shame, shame
> Date: Monday, August 24, 1998 10:37 PM
>
> But, before I did that one it would be a TI99/4a... nice cpu hobbled by a
> really bad design.
>
> Allison
>
Does anyone out there know of some sort of gizmo that could be made that
would convert an old RLL or MFM Hard drive to be used with a parallel
interface? I've seen then for IDE, but that's it. I've got a couple of
old HD's laying around that I'd like to put to use, but there's no room in
any of my computers to put them.
By the way, does anyone have any old Apple or TRS-80 external disk drives
that they'd want to get rid of for a few bucks? I don't need the drive
itself. I need the case and power supply and that's it. If they're
TRS-80, I could use the drive itself, too.
I'm also looking for disk-based (and tape-based) software for the TRS-80
Model III. I'm especially looking for the TRS-DOS operating system for it
(floppy got ran over by an office chair *cringe*).
--
-Jason
(roblwill(a)usaor.net)
ICQ#-1730318
