9 Dec
2000
9 Dec
'00
7:22 a.m.
Hi,
On Fri, 8 Dec 2000 Douglas Quebbeman wrote in reply to a message by John
Foust:
Not odd really.
The first generation of (ISO standard) 5.25" MO drives can work with 600 and
650MB media.
650MB disks have a sector size of 1024 bytes, but some operating systems &
software only work with 512-byte sectors. If the drive was marketed for use
with a particular operating system or software package that required 512-byte
sector media, that would explain the 600 designation on the case. With
appropriate driver software, Macs can use 1024-byte sector media. If you want
to use it in conjunction with a modern PC, both 600 and 650MB disks will work
fine under Windows 9x, no drivers needed.
The SMO-E501 is a first-generation MO drive, albeit not the first first-
generation drive that Sony made (if that makes any sense). Circa 1992 I think.
Let me know if you would like specs or jumper setting info for the MO drive.
-- Mark
In a nice
freebie haul that included a 128M Quadra 950, a 660AV,
a Syquest external, an HP ScanJet IIc, DeskWriter C, there was
an Optima Concorde 600 meg magneto-optical drive. This is
the Sony SMO-E501 mechanism.
That's an odd-sized capacity... are these 5.25 inch carts, or
3.25 inch carts? If the latter, are you sure they aren't 640MB
capacity?