32 sector 8" floppies - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

31 Jul 1999

I had the impression that some of the Tektronix systems some of the guys
have on hand use 32-sector hard-secdtored diskettes and TEKDOS, hence, the
assumption (mine and apparently a weak one) that someone would have a system
which could read these.

Under no circumstances would I recommend trying to put together a
controller, as you've clearly stated the case against hard sectored formats.

It's too bad that people who might otherwise have maintained these things
have ditched them just because of the odd media, though.  Because this is a
complete dead-end without some form of conversion, there'll be more of these
systems going to the landfill.

Dick

-----Original Message-----
From: Don Maslin &lt;donm(a)cts.com&gt;
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
&lt;classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu&gt;
Date: Saturday, July 31, 1999 12:48 PM
Subject: Re: 32 sector 8" floppies

...
 On Sat, 31 Jul 1999, Richard Erlacher wrote: Actually,
I didn't.  This appears to be some of Don M's prose.
...

It is a tough one, Dick.  In dialogue with Chuck Guzis of Sydex some time
back he observed that there have been so many individual version of hard
sector formats that it would be quite difficult to make up a controller
and software that could read many of them.  Similarly, making one for each
case as it came along would also be somewhat prohibitive.

I think, obviously, that if one knew the details of the format the
challenge would be made less.
 - don

> Oddly enough, I've got nothing (controller) that will read hard sectored
> diskettes.  That's probably your reason as well.  With all the other
fellows
...
 > out there who collect classic hardware, surely
there's someone who could
> read these and reduce the source files to a common distribution medium, e.g.
...
 > MSDOS 1.44 MB floppies, for you.
>
> Dick
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Joe &lt;rigdonj(a)intellistar.net&gt;
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
> &lt;classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu&gt;
> Date: Saturday, July 31, 1999 8:27 AM
> Subject: Re: 32 sector 8" floppies
>
>
> >At 08:41 AM 7/30/99 -0600, Richard wrote:
> >>
> >>SInce this stuff is source code, if you have the ability to read it
with
...
 > one
> >>or another ancient system, it might be well to look at the source files
to
...
 > >>see what kind of FDC was supposed to be
used.
> >
> >    I don't have anything that will read them. I tried them on a
Compupro
...
 > >but it puked bits all over the place!  If you
want to give it a shot I'll
...
   send them to you.

   Joe