Re: Question identifiing a 3.5" drive

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

Polymorph <polymorph69@hotmail.com> wrote:

> As I had erroneously bought mine to work with a IIgs, I can confirm
> that they do *not* work with the IIgs smartport. From what I was able
> to determine, the Laser drives required a Laser 128, a UDC, or an
> early Mac (they supposably use the same interface as early Mac drives
> - however, I don't own one to confirm or deny this).

Ah - they work like the Mac Plus 800K external drive.

Those drives (and the earlier 400K ones) require a timing signal from
the computer to control the rotation speed.

The Apple 3.5 Drive has the rotation timing control built in, so it
adjusts its own speed according to the range of tracks being accessed
(five bands, 16 tracks per band).

> I agree that they almost certainly will not work with a Liron or IIc or
> IIc+. As for a Superdrive controller, maybe?

I doubt it. The SuperDrive controller officially supports the
SuperDrive, Apple 3.5 Drive and UniDisk 3.5 (or other intelligent
SmartPort drives). I doubt they would have supported the old Mac drives.

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz