10 Sep
2012
10 Sep
'12
11:57 p.m.
On 10 Sep 2012 at 12:39, Chris Tofu wrote:
one other question - shouldn't it be relatively
easy to write a
program that recognizes another IBM pseudo compatible's MS-DOS format?
If for instance you wanted to read NEC APC disks on a Canon AS-100.
The APC (nee N5200) uses the same MS-DOS format that any of the PC98
systems had--regardless of physical media size. That is 3.5, 5.25
and 8" all use the same format--and all are designed for 360 RPM
spindle speeds (that's why the 3.5" format is labeled as 1.23MB).
Would that IBM have been that savvy.
77x2x8x1024. I even wrote a PeeCee driver for the format decades ago
(wander around SIMTEL and you might find it). Remember that any PC98
program that does not restrict itself to the MS-DOS system API will
likely fail. The BIOS conventions are different, as are niblets such
as hardware ports.
Remember that, at one time, the NEC PC98 series had 70% of the
Japanese PC market. It was very prevalent in the CNC business,
even for machines that were sold into the US market by NEC
competitors such as HItachi.
--Chuck