Re: 800K 3.5" Floppy Drive

["mdj" <mdj.mdj@gmail.com>]

Bryan Parkoff wrote:

>     You may need Unidisk controller card for 800KB.  If you are lucky, you
> may find AppleDrive controller card which it allows to read/write 800KB
> using GCR encoding format and 1.44MB using MFM encoding format.  It is
> easier to transfer files between Apple //e and PC using MFM image.  Then
> CiderPress software can extract MFM image into files.

It should be pointed out that there are two different 3.5" drives for
the Apple II - the earlier UniDisk 3.5" and the later Apple 3.5" drive.
The later drives (platinum in colour) are used on the IIc+, IIgs, and
IIe equipped with an appropriate controller card.

The UniDisk 3.5" is white in colour to match the Apple IIc. You can use
this on an Apple IIe with either the UniDisk 3.5 (or Liron) controller
card, or the SuperDrive controller card (sometimes referred to as Apple
3.5 controller card).

Note that in any case, the controllers are hard to come by, and the
UniDisk 3.5" drive is also rather hard to come by. The best solution,
if you can find it, is the SuperDrive controller card coupled with a
SuperDrive, that is, the High-Density 3.5" drive.

You might also find that real SuperDrives are hard to find - I myself
made my own by transferring the drive mechanism from an old Mac into a
standard Apple 3.5" drive.

I'll also point out that unless you're using a IIgs, you really don't
need one. pretty much all 8-bit software that was shipped on 3.5" disk
will run just fine from a hard disk or compact flash, as it tends to be
unprotected ProDOS based software. The exceptions to this are extremely
rare, and it those cases, you'll find 5.25" versions.

I continue to use my SuperDrive on my IIe as it's a simple way to
transfer data from a PC, but other than that, it sits idle.

Matt