Re: Buying Apple Floppys

[Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>]

Darkcode1 writes ...
> 
> Well, any floppy works in any drive as long as you format it for use with
> that drive...
> 
> My friend gave me a whole bunch of 1.2mb floppys and they work good on my
> apple ][e.
> 
 ....

     It turns out that there are several factors which complicate this
business and lead to conflicting reports:

o- 5.25" diskettes labeled "High Density" or "HD" use a variety of coating
formulations.

o- Many different models and brands of 5.25" drives are used with Apple II
computers.

o- The tests for whether or not a diskette is usable vary. A diskette which
makes it through a format may still fail when used to store files.

o- A diskette may format and seem to function fine; but, in the longer term,
its data retention may prove out as poor.


     Tests show that some newer "40 track" drives and Apple II Platinum
drives will format some HD (1.2MB) diskettes. For instance, I could format a
TDK HD diskette under DOS 3.3 on a Distar 40-track drive and an Apple II
Platinum 5.25" drive. Other brand HD diskettes (e.g. Nashua) would not
format-- both drives bombed into an I/O error. 

     Disk copy tests using Disk Muncher showed that the Platinum drive could
not get through write/verify for most tracks on the TDK HD diskette. The
Distar drive could-- i.e. it copied a regular diskette's content to the HD
diskette without any errors showing.

     Both drives could do a CATALOG of the copy on the TDK HD diskette.
Neither drive could get through a Copy II+ VERIFY DISK for all tracks on the
TDK diskette. (The Distar came close a couple times.) 

     Our old Apple Disk ][ drives normally have no problem reading DD
diskettes created by the Distar. Neither could not format an HD diskette or
get far in reading anything from the HD copy created by the Distar drive.

     It makes sense that some newer 5.25" drives may seem to work okay with
some HD diskettes. They may even create copies that will retain data fine for
decades. (The latter is left to the user of the HD diskettes to verify.) 
Even so, it is likely that the disks will be useless on most Apple II 5.25"
drives.

     In general, it is best to stick with DD diskettes on Apple II 5.25"
drives.



Rubywand