Re: Disk ][ cards

[spec@vax2.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector)]

In article Wayne Stewart <waynes@intergate.bc.ca> writes...

>Yes, they are all the same as far as I know except for the proms.
>I was wondering about them from a historical or collectors
>perspective. What Disk II card was hooked up to the first Disk II?

    Do you mean the first 5.25 controller? That would be the one
that had "Disk ][ Interface Card" silk screened along the top
with dual IDC-20 connectors pins. The D-style connector cards
came out at a later time, around 1983-84.

>Unless I'm repairing one for someone, I rarely use a Disk II.
>Whenever possible I try to run the II+ off its hard drive or 3.5".

    I perfer the Japanese slim-line drives I have in my collection.
Besides being more portable, they're whisper quiet (even when they
attempt to read damaged tracks, there's no grinding sounds).

>Wish I'd ordered enough superdrive cards to leave one in the II+

    That won't work. The SuperDrive controller requires either an
Enhanced IIe or IIgs to function (I heard it will also work in an
Apple III, but you need a specially written commercial driver).

>I did see someone using 13 sector proms once about 4 years ago.
>He was using a II+ to run one copy protected program that he
>needed for his bussiness. I wouldn't be surprised if he was the
>only one in BC, maybe all of Canada.

    I'm expecting some 13 sector PROMs shortly, which I plan to
swap with the PROMs on my oldest Disk II controller and then
install that into my Integer ROM Apple ][. So make that two in
Canada. ;-) Now all I need is an old 'F8' ROM and a Red Book. :)

Mitchell Spector
spec@vax2.concordia.ca