Re: DSHD 5.25 disks

[spec@vax2.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector)]

In article spec@vax2.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector) writes...
>In article "Col.Brewster" <Macvsog@cris.com> writes...
>>
>>Can these disks be used on a apple //? I can't find dsdd disks anywhere.
>>Most of the major stores have stopped carrying them.
> 
>    Absolutely not. It is not a question of whether it is safe to 
>do, High Density (DSHD) 5.25" diskettes use media which is physically 
>different from DSDD diskettes. It is impossible to even format one on 
>a lower density drive (ie, Apple Disk II or Apple 5.25). I once tried 
>several times, and the closest I came was the software thinking there 
>were dozens of track errors on the disk (usually it won't even get this 
>far, just reporting an I/O error has occurred).

    Actually, if the Apple II system in question had a //SHH Systems
BlueDisk controller card, connected to a 1.2MB PC 5.25 floppy drive
mechanism (MFM based). It would then be possible to use High Density
5.25" diskettes on an Apple II. Though considering how uncommon this
setup is, the suggestion is like telling someone who found a boat
(which is missing water to float it on) to build an artifical lake. ;-)
So using DSHD 5.25 on an Apple II is technically possible, but only
with a special (rare) hardware configuration.

Mitchell Spector
spec@vax2.concordia.ca