15 Apr
2003
15 Apr
'03
6:15 p.m.
I know this is a strange request for help, but I have done a lot of
searching for sources of odd sized floppy disks, and haven't had much luck.
The 8" disks are not so much a problem, but from what I can tell, there were
2.0, 2.5, 2.8, 3.0, 3.25, and 4.0 inch formats and finding even one example
has become a challenge for me. Since 3" disks were popular with the
Sinclair systems, these can be had off Ebay, but what of the rest? Its a
personal quest to one one copy of every type of removable media and if
anyone has any ideas, sources, information, it would be most appreciated. I
hope to post the collection to a website as I don't think it has been done.
Thanks for any input
Kurt
(Still seeking a copy of the manual for the Jupiter Ace 4000, but I am
hopeful as there is one possible source if I am lucky)
15 Apr
15 Apr
6:41 p.m.
New subject: Where can one find 2.5 inch floppy disks, and other odd sizes
On Wed, 16 Apr 2003, Kurtk7 wrote:
I know this is a strange request for help, but I have
done a lot of
searching for sources of odd sized floppy disks, and haven't had much
luck. The 8" disks are not so much a problem, but from what I can tell,
there were 2.0, 2.5, 2.8, 3.0, 3.25, and 4.0 inch formats and finding
even one example has become a challenge for me. Since 3" disks were
popular with the Sinclair systems, these can be had off Ebay, but what
of the rest? Its a personal quest to one one copy of every type of
removable media and if anyone has any ideas, sources, information, it
would be most appreciated. I hope to post the collection to a website
as I don't think it has been done.
I have a Panasonic Video Floppy player that uses a 2" or 2.5" disk to hold
still images. I never have done anything with it, since I didn't know
where to get the disks. The remote for the unit is also missing, which I
was told limits the functionality of it quite a bit.
-Toth
16 Apr
16 Apr
12:57 p.m.
New subject: Where can one find 2.5 inch floppy disks, and other odd sizes
There's a guy at the MIT swap meet and the TCF
that sold them for $6/ea from 1999-2002, and,
hopefully now. I have one here if you need more
details.
If you really want one and can't go I could get it for
you.
John A.
1:24 a.m.
New subject: Where can one find 2.5 inch floppy disks, and other odd sizes
At 01:11 AM 4/16/03 -0500, you wrote:
I know this is a strange request for help, but I have
done a lot of
searching for sources of odd sized floppy disks, and haven't had much luck.
The 8" disks are not so much a problem, but from what I can tell, there were
2.0, 2.5, 2.8, 3.0, 3.25, and 4.0 inch formats and finding even one example
has become a challenge for me. Since 3" disks were popular with the
Sinclair systems, these can be had off Ebay, but what of the rest?
Zenith used 2" disk in one of their laptops, I think it was called a Mini-Sport.
I've found the machines and disk on both E-bay and at hamfest. I used to have two
drives and about 13 or 14 disks but gave them away. Mike Haas got them.
I gave Don Maslin the 3" drive and disk that I used to have. You can try to talk
him out of them.
There was a 3 1/4" disk advertised on E-bay just recently. I may have the
seller's address if you can't find it by searching E-bay.
Joe
2:13 p.m.
New subject: Where can one find 2.5 inch floppy disks, and other odd sizes
On Wed, 16 Apr 2003, Joe wrote:
I gave Don Maslin the 3" drive and disk that I
used to have. You
can try to talk him out of them.
and I sent him a 3.25" diskette. But I doubt that he would part with any
unless he had duplicates.
2:38 p.m.
New subject: Where can one find 2.5 inch floppy disks, and other odd sizes
From: Joe <rigdonj(a)cfl.rr.com>
Zenith used 2" disk in one of their laptops, I
think it was called a
Mini-Sport. I've found the machines and disk on both E-bay
and at hamfest. I
used to have two drives and about 13 or 14 disks but gave them away. Mike
Haas got them.
Yeah, I've got that box in front of me right now. Fuji Film Floppy Disk
LT-1, 2 inch, 10-pack (DSDD, 245TPI, 80 tracks) specifically for the Zenith
Minisport and compatibles. Each teenee floppy has it's own jewele-t case...
classy. I wonder if they'll fit in my Canon Xapshot. I can send out a few
disks, send email.
- Mike: dogas(a)bellsouth.net
3:43 a.m.
New subject: Where can one find 2.5 inch floppy disks, and other odd sizes
Kurtk7 wrote:
example has become a challenge for me. Since 3"
disks were popular
with the Sinclair systems, these can be had off Ebay, but what of the
rest? Its a personal quest to one one copy of every type of
removable media and if anyone has any ideas, sources, information, it
would be most appreciated. I hope to post the collection to a
website as I don't think it has been done.
To be correct Amstrad liked 3" discs not Sinclair, when Amstrad brought
Sinclair they added them to the Spectrum. Sinclair liked Microdrives.
Nintendo 64 DD drives use weird disks. 4x4x0.4 inch discs holding 64Mb with
variable writable range (from 1-38Mb), it was only released in Japan.
Bye,
Deano
5:44 a.m.
New subject: Where can one find 2.5 inch floppy disks, and other odd sizes
On Wed, 16 Apr 2003, Kurtk7 wrote:
The 8" disks are not so much a problem, but from
what I can tell, there were
2.0, 2.5, 2.8, 3.0, 3.25, and 4.0 inch formats and finding even one example
Also:
2.9"
3.9"
and, of course,
5.25" (soft-sector, hard-sector (10 and 16), twiggy)
3.5" (early ones without shutter, manual shutter, one-way shutter,
floptical)
12:07 p.m.
New subject: Where can one find 2.5 inch floppy disks, and other odd sizes
On Wed, 16 Apr 2003, Fred Cisin (XenoSoft) wrote:
On Wed, 16 Apr 2003, Kurtk7 wrote:
Who used them; who made them? Do you have a handy chart, Fred?
The 8" disks are not so much a problem, but
from what I can tell, there were
2.0, 2.5, 2.8, 3.0, 3.25, and 4.0 inch formats and finding even one example
Also:
2.9"
3.9" and, of course,
5.25" (soft-sector, hard-sector (10 and 16), twiggy)
3.5" (early ones without shutter, manual shutter, one-way shutter,
floptical)
"One-way shutter"?
--
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org
* Old computing resources for business and academia at www.VintageTech.com *
1:59 p.m.
New subject: Where can one find 2.5 inch floppy disks, and other odd sizes
On Wed, 16 Apr 2003, Vintage Computer Festival wrote:
IBM. They showed sample drives, made by Tabor?, and disks by Brown,
before they finally went with 3.5". They showed them a LOT, and released
some "engineering samples", but never seem to have put them into a
production machine.
The original 3.5" had no shutter. The ones that I have are labeled
"Shugart".
The next ones had a completely manual shutter. YOU opened it, YOU closed
it.
Then came the "one way", or "pinch" shutter. You opened it manually,
and
to close it, you squeezed the corner of the disk. A few drives would open
the disk for you, but you still needed to pinch the corner to release the
shutter to close it. Some current disks still have the arrow that points
to where you pinch it.
Then came the current style that opens AND closes it for you.
The 3.25" is a much more interesting story (Dysan bet the company on it)
At one time, the journalists were arguing about 3 v 3.25 v 3.5, as "shirt
pocket disks". MOST of them got it wrong. George Morrow had the
solution, "Let's just payoff the clothing business to make 5.25" shirt
poskets."
(Anybody got a copy of "Quotations from Chairman Morrow"?)
--
Fred Cisin cisin(a)xenosoft.com
XenoSoft http://www.xenosoft.com
> 2.9"
There were a couple of 2.5"
and a couple of 2.9" One was a spiral track,
and one (TEC?) was the same as a 720K 3.5" (80 track, etc.)
3.9"
Who used them; who made them? Do you have a handy chart, Fred? 3.5"
(early ones without shutter, manual shutter, one-way shutter,
floptical)
"One-way shutter"?
3:21 p.m.
New subject: Where can one find 2.5 inch floppy disks, and other odd sizes
On Wed, 16 Apr 2003, Fred Cisin (XenoSoft) wrote:
IBM. They showed sample drives, made by Tabor?, and disks by Brown,
before they finally went with 3.5". They showed them a LOT, and released
some "engineering samples", but never seem to have put them into a
production machine.
Interesting. Have you got a sample?
3.9"
Who used them; who made them? Do you
have a handy chart, Fred? The original 3.5" had no shutter. The ones that
I have are labeled
"Shugart".
I think I have one.
The next ones had a completely manual shutter. YOU
opened it, YOU closed
it.
Wacky.
Then came the "one way", or
"pinch" shutter. You opened it manually, and
to close it, you squeezed the corner of the disk. A few drives would open
the disk for you, but you still needed to pinch the corner to release the
shutter to close it. Some current disks still have the arrow that points
to where you pinch it.
Ah. The first 3.5" disk I ever owned was an HP labeled disk with a pinch
shutter (I still have it somewhere).
Then came the current style that opens AND closes it
for you.
Technology marches on.
The 3.25" is a much more interesting story (Dysan
bet the company on it)
At one time, the journalists were arguing about 3 v 3.25 v 3.5, as "shirt
pocket disks". MOST of them got it wrong. George Morrow had the
solution, "Let's just payoff the clothing business to make 5.25" shirt
poskets."
(Anybody got a copy of "Quotations from Chairman Morrow"?)
No, but I'd like a copy.
--
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org
* Old computing resources for business and academia at www.VintageTech.com *
7921
days inactive
7921
days old
10 comments
8 participants
participants (8)
-
allain＠panix.com -
cisin＠xenosoft.com -
deano＠rattie.demon.co.uk -
dogas＠bellsouth.net -
kurtk7＠visi.com -
rigdonj＠cfl.rr.com -
tothwolf＠concentric.net -
vcf＠siconic.com