Re: WTB: Apple II 3.5 (SuperDrive) Controller

[mark.REMOVE.percival@videotron.ca (Mark Percival)]

On Thu, 27 May 1999 , John E Townsend  wrote:

>> John,
>>
>> I am aware of the Blue Disk controller however it won't work with the
>> Apple SuperDrive I have recently purchased.
>>
>> I may be wrong here but I believe that this controller only does MFM
>> encoded formats.  The 720K, 1.44M & 2.88M formats all makes sense.
>> How does it do a MFM 800K & 1.6M formats?
>
>From the ///SHH Systeme web page (http://www.wbwip.com/shh/bluedisk.html):
>
>     Capacities And Formats Currently Supported
>     -------------------------------------------
>
>     PRODOS & GS/OS (including Macintosh HFS Formats):
>
>       5.25"   360  KB  DD  (Double Density)
>       5.25"   720  KB  DD  (Double Density)
>       5.25"   1.2  MB  HD  (High Density)
>
>       3.5"    720  KB  DD  (Double Density)
>       3.5"    800  KB  DD  (Double Density)
>       3.5"    1.44 MB  HD  (High Density)
>       3.5"    1.6  MB  HD  (High Density)
>       3.5"    2.88 MB  ED  (Extra Density)
>
>     MS-DOS (PC Transporter & GS/OS MS-DOS FST):
>
>       5.25"   360  KB  DD  (Double Density)
>       5.25"   720  KB  DD  (Double Density)
>       5.25"   1.2  MB  HD  (High Density)
>
>       3.5"    720  KB  DD  (Double Density)
>       3.5"    1.44 MB  HD  (High Density)
>       3.5"    2.88 MB  ED  (Extra Density)
>

John,

Right after that is written:
=-=-
Note 1: due to GS/OS system limitations (read-only), writing to MS-DOS
volumes is not available.
Note 2: all disk formats mentioned here are MFM recording.
=-=- 
 
Note 1 isn't true today but Note 2 is important.  Standard encoding
for 3.5" 800KB  DD is GCR, not MFM.  This mean that you will be unable
to read standard Apple II DD disks with this card.  You will have to
keep an Apple 3.5 Drive connected for such disks.

This is a small point but I thought you should be aware.

Mark R. Percival
Montreal, Quebec

An Apple II fanatic since 1979.