Re: HD drive?

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

In article <19940707095735ZCEL02@tulatcpa.amoco.com>,
Charles Lott <CLOTT@AOL.COM> wrote:
> What is this?  I haven't heard of this drive:
> 
> In order to do High Density on the Apple //, you will need both the
> High Density 3.5" drive and the new Apple 3.5" controller. If you don't
> have, you will only be able to do regular density. Of course, you
> will need High Density Disks.

So what is your question?  You are describing the Apple SuperDrive,
and the Apple II SuperDrive Controller Card (originally called the
Apple II 3.5 Disk Controller Card).

The SuperDrive can access 400k and 800k GCR formatted disks (as used
by the Apple II and Macintosh) and also 720k and 1.44MB MFM formatted
disks (as used by IBM PCs, and can be used by any Macintosh with a
SuperDrive).

The SuperDrive was Apple's standard 3.5" drive in all Macintosh models
from the Mac IIx until quite recently.



The SuperDrive looks just like the normal Apple 3.5 Drive, except for
a different type of plug on the cable, a yellow "select" light, and
the label on the underside of the drive says it is a SuperDrive.

If you plug this drive into the IIgs disk port, it will act just like
an Apple 3.5 Drive, i.e. allow you to access 400k and 800k disks.  If
you want to access 1.44MB (high density) or 720k disks, you must
connect it to the SuperDrive controller card.

The card can be used in a IIe or IIgs.  It supports two drives, which
can be any combination of Apple 3.5 Drive, SuperDrive or UniDisk 3.5.


The SuperDrive and the card have recently been removed from Apple's
price lists.  If you're lucky, you may be able to find them (try
Quality Computers, for example).

There are third-party clones of the SuperDrive from AMR and Applied
Engineering.  The AMR drive has a minor problem when used on the Apple
II: if the computer polls the drive and there is no disk in it, the
computer will hang until you insert a disk.  This particularly affects
GS/OS, since it is usually polling floppy drives all the time.
-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand