Multi-platform distribution format (Was: Backups [was

On Sun, 20 Sep 2015, tony duell wrote: So when used under OS-9 it acts normally (directory where the OS expects to find it), just with this apparently useless file. Ditto under Color TRS-DOS. Exactly. Trying to combine Coco, TRS80 model 1, and Apple][, would require track 17 to have MFM, FM, and GCR sectors/encoding. BUT, many CP/M formats had different number of "reserved tracks" (how many tracks the DIRectory was from the beginning of the disk). A good handful of those could be mixed. There were several reasons why there was never a STANDARD 5.25" CP/M format. I once had the opportunity to ask Gary Kildall what the standard would be for 5.25". He replied, "8 inch single sided single density". I repeated, "Yes, but waht about 5.25"? He repeated, "8 inch single sided single density". I understood, but was not much enlightened. A rare few vendors actually WANTED their disks to be inaccessible by others! At NCC 84? (the one in Anaheim, where a couple of people died about their disk formats. They both, and only them out of all manufacturers that I asked, asserted that the only possible reason to read their disks with another machine was to pirate their proprietary software! (So, I added those formats that night in my hotel room). Dysan (remember them?) thought that they had a solution. When "shirt-pocket" disks were on the horizon, there was much debate about 3" V 3.5" V 3.25". Dysan was pushing the 3.25" size, because other than a solid hub, it was the same as a conventional floppy, and would require much less retooling. They set standard format(s) for 3.25". Then to make absolutely sure that it would get adopted, they bet the company, and set up a software distribution company! Most major software products were available on 3.25"!! I eventually ended up with some of the drives and disks from Micropro (WORDSTAR). But then, Amstrad, Gavilan, etc. went with 3". Apple and HP went with 3.5", and the battle was over. In spite of the impressive library of available software, as near as I can find out, the Seequa Chameleon 325 was the ONLY machine to reach market with 3.25" drives. George Morrow said that standards are wonderful, that everybody should have a unique one of their own.