Re: Apple II Csa2 FAQs 9/9/1998 Zip Drive & Tape

[supertimer@aol.com (Supertimer)]

Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net> wrote:

>Apple II Zip Drive, Tape Backup, .... Mini-Manual
>
>Csa2 FAQs-on-Ground file: CSA2ZIPTF.TXT  rev008

Nice FAQ!

>006- How do I get started using the Zip drive?
>
>     Once your drive is connected, its time to start your machine and
>prepare a Zip disk for use. The Advanced Disk Utility (on a IIgs) or the
>utility that came with your SCSI card can do the necessary formatting
>and set up partitions (i.e. named "Volumes"). Each 100MB disk can hold
>three max-size (32MB) ProDOS partitions.

Rubywand, I don't know if you have tried this, but if I DON'T
partition a Zip disk but instead simply format it from Finder
using HFS on the GS, the volume seems a bit faster than
if I partition it and use HFS.  I don't know why this is so.

The funny thing is that disk utilities recognize that there is
no partition table on the Zip disk but that the disk is one
giant unpartitioned disk.  Yes, it takes a few minutes to format
it this way from Finder, but the disk just performs better
than if I "partition" it into a single partition of HFS using ADU.
This only works using MS-DOS preformatted Zip disks, of
course.  The disks for Macs have the nasty driver partitions
that you HAVE to get rid of using ADU.  ;-(
 
>     If your interface is a RamFAST rev. D 3.01f or later model, you
>will be able to treat Zip disks much like large floppies. They will
>mount and unmount properly in the GS Finder, etc..

I don't know if the RamFAST can do this, but using the
Apple card, you can INDEED treat it EXACTLY as a big
floppy.  Take a Zip disk formatted for PC, stick it into
GS Finder, then format for HFS.  The GIANT HFS
"diskette" (no partition table) runs faster than if ADU had
"paritioned" it (put a partition table on it even though just
for a single parition).  You also gain a little disk space,
I believe.  Try it.  Remember to start with a PC Zip disk,
not a Mac one.


>010- How does Zip Drive perform with an Apple HS SCSI card?
>
>4.) Put the Zipdisk in the drive before GSOS is booted so that it may be
>scanned and recognized.

Almost correct.  You can start up GS/OS with an empty Zip drive.
As long as the Zip drive was powered up (plugged in) before
GS/OS loads, the drive can be empty and you can LATER stick
in a Zip disk and it or it's partitions will be mounted.  This is how
it works with an Apple High Speed SCSI controller.


>012- Which SCSI interface works best with a Zip Drive?
>
>     Your best choice is the version 3.01f RamFAST.  Along with good
>speed, Direct Memory Access support, and on-ROM utilities, you also get
>an interface which permits ejecting a Zip disk and mounting a new Zip
>disk from the System 6 Finder. (There is no need to turn OFF the
>computer and restart the system in order to swap disks.)
>
>     The RamFAST 3.01f also supports a variety of CD-ROM drives and hard
>disk drives.

Same can be said of the Apple High Speed SCSI, except that it is
a bit slower than RamFAST.  However, it actually supports MORE
hard disk drives than the RamFAST.  ;-)


>013- Will I be able to format and partition a Zip disk using the
>     standard 6.0.1 tools disk?
>
>A low-level reformat of a 100MB Zip disk may take 10
>minutes or more.

Note that this is the ideal way to do - FROM FINDER - if you
want one big HFS volume.  The resulting HFS "diskette"
is faster than one with a partition table.  Takes longer to
prepare the disk, but it becomes faster ever after.


>014- Should I just let the GS/OS Finder handle formatting of
>     new Zip disks?
>
>     If you are at the usual GS/OS Desktop display and insert a new,
>"blank" Zip disk, you will be told that the disk's format is not
>recognized and asked if you want to have it formatted. You should answer
>"NO"

I say "Yes" for HFS Zip "diskettes" because the resulting
volume sans partition table is noticeably faster than one
that has gone through ADU.  I'm still trying to figure out why
this is so.  Note that this only works with preformatted PC
Zip disks, not preformatted Mac ones (which NEED ADU
or RamFAST utilities to partition away the nasty Macintosh
driver partitions).

>A new Zip disk is already formatted; what you need is to have it
>partitioned.
>
>ProDOS is limited to 32,768kB ("32MB") per partition. The Finder does
>not know how to correctly format and partition a 100MB ProDOS disk.

Actually, Finder DOES, but PRO.FST (ProDOS file system) does
not.  If you want one BIG HFS volume, then formatting it from
Finder using HFS will get you a 96MB large (partition-table-less)
"diskette" that's faster than one that has been partitioned.  Try it.

It is a neat trick.

I know I'm repeating myself, but it is very important to me because
I use HFS on my Zip disks almost exclusively.


>022- I've heard that Apple's Hi-Speed SCSI card does not
>     allow swapping Zip disks without turning OFF the computer.
>     Is this true?
>
>     No. The Apple Hi-Speed SCSI interface allows ejecting and swapping
>removable disks. With a partitioned Zip disk (or CD-ROM), you have to
>lasso or shift-click to highlight all the partitions and drag them to
>the trash to eject the disk. (As long as one partition remains on the
>desktop, the disk stays in.) There is no need to turn off the computer
>to swap disks.

Yup.  Thanks for adding my posting to the FAQ!  ;-)

Note that the "partitionless" HFS volumes generated by formatting
PC Zip disks from the Finder behaves just like a floppy and
ejects and mounts like one (but with a hard disk icon).