Re: Disks for 3.5" drive

[nathan@cco.caltech.edu (Nathan Mates)]

In article <jeffsterDq8Mqx.EA4@netcom.com>,
The Jeffster! <jeffster@netcom.com> wrote:
>I have an Apple 3.5" disk drive, and when I see that there is an 800k 
>capacity of the disks, I worry, because double-sided, or "low-density" 
>disks are formatted to 720k with an IBM. Are regular low-density disks 
>usable on the drive? If not, then can I use a high-density disk and just 
>have the drive format it to 800k? thanks in advance.

   IBMs use a less efficient (but cheaper) method of writing to disks.
Thus, the same disk can safely be used on both platforms after
formatting it for the appropriate platform.

   High Density (1.44MB) disks are physically different from 720/800K
disks; the magnetic particles have different properties. Using the
wrong kind of disk is NOT RECOMMENDED. (It may work for a few months,
but it'll eventually up and die, taking your only copy of your thesis
to bit heaven two days before it's due)

Nathan Mates
-- 
<*> Nathan Mates http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu/~nathan/      <*>
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