31 Dec
2001
31 Dec
'01
10:06 a.m.
On Mon, 31 Dec 2001, Ben Franchuk wrote:
OK what was the AMIGA that ran both AMIGA and PC
software ... (286 +
68000 )
cpu cards on a PC style box. Did that have a special software to write
PC disks?
I saw one once - but it was sure slow!
The Amiga hardware can easily write PC diskettes (at least 720K + 360K
with the external 5.25")
The PC hardware can not read or write PC diskettes.
The AMiga can write ANY (or almost any) MFM format, within certain
limitations, such as data transfer rate (which determines density).
From what I've heard, the Amiga could even do a
very limited number of
non-MFM types of formats.
The PC can only write one specific type of MFM format that has WD style
sector headers, although there are thousands of variations of that type of
MFM format.
http://www.xenosoft.com/fmts.tml
Writing any other format, such as one with a different kind of file system
will require some special software for dealing with the file system
differences.
Central Coast Software (NOT related to Central POINT software) wrote a
number of utilities for Amiga to transfer files to and from a good variety
of other disk formats.
There was also a softwware only PC emulator for the Amiga. THAT was
slow. The 286 board was brought out to speed that up. But when somebody
succeeds in teaching an elephant to fly, how much does it matter how fast
and how much payload?
--
Fred Cisin cisin(a)xenosoft.com
XenoSoft http://www.xenosoft.com
PO Box 1236 (510) 558-9366
Berkeley, CA 94701-1236