Re: 800K drive on an iMac?

[Wayne Stewart <waynes@intergate.bc.ca>]

Obsbedia2 wrote:

>         I read on the internet the "how-to" for creating a 1.4 meg external drive,
> similar to the one that I bought for the i(maginary)Mac.  The carton of my
> drive listed 800K ProDOS as the only system that it couldn't write.  I've
> placed an 800K disk in the drive and it's given me the option to format it as a
> 720K IBM disk.
>
>         Could the reason that the 800K ProDOS disk is not an available option be the
> hardware of the 1.4 IBM/MAC compatible drives (afterall, it didn't give me the
> option to format the disk as an 800K Mac disk) and not a software problem?

The 1.4mb 720k pc disks are MFM while the 800k ProDOS & Mac disks are GRC.
Even ignoring that, Apple used a variable speed drive to get 800k on the floppy while
720k
& 1.4mb disks are written on a single speed drive.

>
>         Could an 800K Mac or Apple II drive/SuperDrive be used with an adapter for USB
> or rewire the drive as is already done with these external drives?

I know a couple of people that would be interested if a USB adapter for Apple floppy
drives
was available. I wouldn't think there'd be enough demand though.
Likely adapting a USB floppy for 800k would be a major undertaking.

    Wayne