Re: Apple Disk Drives

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

Mark Cummings <NOTfigjams@primus.com.au> wrote:

> > MFS continued to be supported up to about Mac OS 8.0 (probably including
> > support for formatting an MFS disk).  Mac OS 8.1 dropped it.
> 
> I have System 7.6 and I can't see a 400K option when formatting an 800K
> disk. I only have Macintosh 800K, DOS 720K, and ProDOS 800K. Is there some
> trick that I am overlooking, or are the disks physically different.

I expect they removed the ability to format MFS disks in an earlier
system version.  I didn't see it under 7.5.3, which is the oldest system
that runs on my 7600.

Some obscure memories from the '80s being dredged up...

I recall System 6.x offering a choice between "single sided" and "double
sided" when formatting a disk in machines around the SE/II era.  I
didn't touch a Mac from about this time until 1996.  I missed System 7.0
and 7.1, so I'm not sure what options are offered by them.

Another possibility is that the "single sided" formatting option is only
offered with an 800K drive, not a SuperDrive.  (It would always apply
when using a 400K drive.)

It could be tied to the machine type - PowerMacs might not offer 400K
formatting at all, while 68K Macs might support it right up to the
Quadra.