blue disk formats

[tsetse@helix.net (tsetse)]

} David Empson queried:
} In article <tsetse-0804962312460001@hallow.helix.net>,
} tsetse <tsetse@helix.net> wrote:
} > 
} > i have a blue disk with 2 pc style 3.5HD drives (epson brand, i believe,
} > 1.44 meg)  i just tried a standard 800k prodos disk in them - unreadable.
} 
} Is it possible to connect an Apple 3.5 Drive to a BlueDisk, or does it
} only work with PC drives?

no. pc drives only. it uses a standard pc drive (daisy chain) cable, with
the only oddity that drives a & b are reversed from pc world standard.
 
} > the driver allows the following formatting: 
} >  800k   2:1
} >  720k   2:1
} > 2880k   3:1   \  these 2 not supported by drive
} > 2880k   2:1   /  generates gsos error # $27 when tried on dd disk
} > 1600k   2:1
} > 1440k   2:1
} > 
} > when i first got the card, i formated a disk at 1600k. this disk was
} > able, by just pushing it into the (hd) floppy drive, to crash every
} > mac computer at work. but the blue disk card didn't have any troubles.
} > presumeably a disk formated to 800k on the blue disk would behave
} > similarly.
} 
} Would you be able to try this and report the results (and
} compatiblity, if any, with a standard Apple 3.5 Drive and/or drive in
} a real PC)?

do what? so far i've tried the following:
a) from gsos: format hfs, 800k, on dd disk in pc3.5.
   in apple3.5, gsos thinks a bit, then wants to format. (system 6.0.1)
   in apple3.5, mac thinks a bit, then wants to format (system 7.5)
   no problem with disk in pc3.5 drive.
b) from gsos: format hfs, 1.44meg, on hd disk.
   in pc3.5, gsos is happy.
   (will try mac tomorrow at work)
c) from gsos: format hfs, 1.6meg, on hd disk.
   in pc3.5, gsos is happy.
   (will try mac tomorrow at work)
d) using peter watson's messydos utilities (pwmu for short) from gno/me:
 d1) format dd disk in pc3.5 - some kind of error (unsupported mode?)
     disk is unreadable anywhere.
 d2) format hd disk in pc3.5 - formats as 720k disk, readable from
     gsos as a pc (read only) disk (in pc3.5 drive).
     i can't see how to get a hd format.
e) using blue disk utilities, only prodos format farmatting is
   possible.

gsos using the pc3.5 drives, has always been able to read msdos
disks, dd or hd, that i've popped in.
(pwmu barfs on my orca shell.)
orca shell can't deal with pcdos disks.
gno/me reads pcdos disks fine.
pwmu mdir, from gno/me, reads pcdos disks fine, slower than ls, but
    displayed on screen just like a pc. (gasp - with second sight text
    on a svga monitor, it looks exactly like a pc - arg! run away!)

i have a stack of disks in front of me now, and i'm quite confused.
i think i'm gonna go to bed. fire away with any unanswered questions.
 
} Rob's original question was in response to a discussion he and I were
} having in E-Mail.
} 
} -- 

} dempson@actrix.gen.nz
} Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand

-- 
It is not possible that the possible and the   |   tsetse@helix.net
impossible are both possible  - Babble 123     | +oO  Vancouver.CA