19 Jun
2007
19 Jun
'07
12:24 p.m.
Sridhar Ayengar wrote:
I would assume it's something similar to XDF.
Probably not XDF itself
though, as that is an IBM thing.
DMF, actually: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distribution_Media_Format
XDF, IMO, is unnecessarily complicated and not very robust -- they pack
8K clusters on the inner tracks like sardines. But it does indeed store
1.86MB on a DSHD 3.5" disk.
If I were to implement some additional-storage format, I'd probably put
more/larger sectors on the outer tracks where there is more surface
area. I believe Mac and Amiga formats did this, although I'm not aware
of the particulars.
You could have made a backup copy on diskettes by
using the DOS DISKCOPY
command. It would have made a raw copy including the unusual format.
No, it wouldn't. DOS DISKCOPY doesn't handle a single thing that is
outside the norm. CopyIIPC, Teledisk, Copywrite, ImageDisk, etc. can,
but hardly DOS DISKCOPY.
--
Jim Leonard (trixter at oldskool.org) http://www.oldskool.org/
Help our electronic games project: http://www.mobygames.com/
Or check out some trippy MindCandy at http://www.mindcandydvd.com/
A child borne of the home computer wars: http://trixter.wordpress.com/