5 Jun
2012
5 Jun
'12
2:28 a.m.
On Mon, 4 Jun 2012, Fred Cisin wrote:
Now that's the dumbest excuse I've read in a long time.
How on earth
do you come to that conclusion? I have enough 96tpi "DD"
drives. I think you mix up track density and recording density, two
unrelated things.
You make an important, but IRRELEVANT point. I am cognizant of the differences, and the sloppiness
of the terminology,
and CHOSE to attempt to reply to the original poster using the
terminology that he had used. I do have sample diskettes from hundreds
So he won't be able to learn the correct terminology as soon as possible.
OK, YOU explain to the original poster why he will or
will not have
problems writing Kaypro2, Apple2, Commodore diskettes using the "1.2M"
drive from an IBM 5170. He will need to know about coercivity, LATER,
We won't have any problem if the target system uses 96 tpi drives too. I
have some 80 track Apple2 drives, and the SFD1001 is 96tpi as well. So he
could use (or even will have to use) that drive to write those kind of
disks. The whole point is that you can't give a definite answer without
knowing the details of the source system (where the disks are written) and
the target system (where they are to be used).
when he selects blank media to use. But, right now,
for selesting which
DRIVE to mount in the case, he does NOT need to be concerned with flux
transition rate, disk total capacity, options of alternate physical
formats, or variant exceptions to the "standard" formats.
Why not? Doesn't he have the right to learn those things? This thread has
enough simple answers; why not give an additional more exhaustive answer
to the matter?
The issue for the original poster was whether he
should use a "DD" drive
or an "HD" drive. Those were HIS terms. HE was not referring with "DD
The issue of the OP was no issue at all. If I read that correctly, he
simply wants to read files off of standard MS-DOS disks. So that involves
a simple trial-and-error step in order to determine whether a standard
drive can read those disks or not.
YES, "DD drive" can refer to several other
things, but was it not
possible, if one wanted to, to understand what he meant?
Sure, he wants to read bog standard MS-DOS disks. So the answer is: Just
get a drive and try it. And BTW, usually you can recognise "HD" floppies
fairly easily because most don't have the hub reinforcement ring. And
next: Usually the characteristics are written on the disk label. For "HD"
disks, here are some examples:
"HD" floppies
Disky HD 2 (Doebbelin&Boeder)
2S/HD 96tpi (BASF EXTRA)
MD2-HD Double Sided High Density Soft-Sectored (Verbatim Verex)
"DD" floppies
diskette 2D96 (Doebbelin&Boeder disky)
MD2D Double sided/Double Density/48TPI (Fuji Film)
Another poster pointed out that the original poster
had referred to his
diskettes as FDDs, and asked how you copy a Floppy Disk Drive. Being from
a "Fantasia" generation, I can't help but visualize Mickey Mouse as The
Oh come on! That was me, and there was a smiley. Sorry, but you really
give your nick name "Grumpy Ol' Fred" all honours!
Christian