30 May
2000
30 May
'00
12:56 p.m.
----------
From: Richard Erlacher <richard(a)idcomm.com>
To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org
Subject: Re: Defining Disk Image Dump Standard
Date: Tuesday, May 30, 2000 08:28 PM
If you put floppy diskettes on the shelf and wait 20 years, you'll see
what's left of your archive.
This weekend I backed up a set of factory-original Apple II CP/M disks for
MicroPro applications (Wordstar, Mailmerge, Spellstar, Datastar,
Reportstar, Calcstar, etc). The disks were dated 1979-1982 and there were
no errors reading them. I copied them twice: once to another floppy, and
once to the Apple II disk archive format (ShrinkIt) on my hard drive.
Twenty years is not too long if you use single-sided single density
diskettes that cost $10 each (in 1980 dollars!).
I don't trust today's ten-cent double-sided high-density diskettes for any
long term storage.
Paul R. Santa-Maria
Ann Arbor, Michigan USA
paulrsm(a)ameritech.net