Re: SuperDrive Card (Apple II 3.5" Disk Controller Card) and FDHD Questions...

[Mitchell Spector <mitch2gs@hotmail.com>]

"Matthew S. Carpenter" <superpsycho@comcast.net> wrote:

>Sean Fahey wrote:
>> Warren Ernst wrote:
>> 
>>> Michael,
>>>
>>> Thanks for the info. I should have tried the Cx0Ag trick first thing
>>> (that tip was burned in my brain after years of working with a
>>> RamFactor, then forgotten about 10 years ago).
>>>
>>> Fortunately, I only paid about $12 for the two 800k mechanisms...
>>>
>>> -Warr
>>>
>> 
>> In case you're interested...
>> 
>> http://www.shrevesystems.com/drives.html
>> 
>> at the bottom, left side - $29, new in box. And on eBay, when available, 
>> they go for $20-$25, also NIB.
>
>Hey....
>
>That "1.44 Super Drives!" listing that's around the middle of the page 
>on the right.... would it be possible to know if that mechanism could be 
>put into the case of an Apple 3.5 drive to produce a superdrive?

    Only if they're the Sony designed and manufactured SuperDrive. These
can be identified by the auto-inject feature (spring mechanism that pulls in
partially inserted disks) and a Sony sticker label on the underside spindal.
It appears that's what the $3 drives are from the photograph, but I'd verify
that with Shreves before ordering.

>I'm actually trying to figure out what models of drive mechanism would 
>work in the Apple 3.5 drive case to get a couple of superdrives on my 
>IIgs for cheaper.

    The Sony mechanism I describe above (typically you can pull these
from Macintoshes built between 1988 and 1993). Avoid later model
SuperDrives manufactured by IBM, these are easily identifiable by the
presence of a dust-shutter at the opening of the drive. They also lack
the auto-inject feature, disks have to be manually inserted like PC's.

    On the same topic, you can tell an 800K and 1.44 MB Apple drive
apart by visual inspection. Have a look through the drive opening at
the right corner, you should see a small white plastic pole pointing up-
wards in a SuperDrive--this is the High Density detection sensor. The
older Apple 3.5 drive mechanism lacks this sensor. You may need a
flashlight, there's a metal bit atop it and it's not that tall.

    If you have a loose mechanism you can obviously have a look at
the sticker label on the underside. From memory, I think these say
"2 MB" (in addition to the different part number). It's a snap to install
these in an Apple 3.5 drive and they work perfectly with the Apple II
3.5 Disk Controller Card.

Mitchell Spector