Re: Apple DES program

[shack@crash.cts.com (Randy Shackelford)]

In article <1994Apr4.151506.5504@news.weeg.uiowa.edu>,
Steven Nelson <snelson@umaxc.weeg.uiowa.edu> wrote:

>I have 5.25 drive(s) on every II system I have.  I have 3.5 drives on a few
>of them.  3.5 drives ARE expensive - 3.5 drive hardware is _NOT_ cheap.  A
>3.5 Superdrive and controller is still over $400 (if you can find them).  If
>I were to buy, or to advise someone to buy, hardware enhancement for a II
>in terms of drives, I would advise buy a harddrive, not a 3.5 floppy!  HD
>are cheaper!  But it _so_ hard to share software on HD.  Shipping a HD to
>a friend and back is 1) expensive, 2) potentially damaging, and 3) puts you
>out of commision for a week or so until the drive comes back.  Sending
>data by 5.25 disks, on the other hand, is much cheaper, easier on the hard-
>ware, and doesn't hold you up.

Who says you need a superdrive? Even so I've seen used ones going for a bit
over $100. Here's a more "real world" example: not terribly long ago I got
a secondhand unidisk 3.5 from a net person for $90. Not the best price
around but still cheaper than fixing my broken one. I saw a guy selling a
unidisk 3.5 card for $10. which I might have gotten if I didn't already have
one. So there's a complete 3.5 setup for $100. Not too bad I think.

If you can use the grey 3.5s, you're even better off. I've seen those over
in comp.sys.mac.wanted for $60 or thereabouts. 800K drives aren't valued by
Mac users any more.

The reason I was saying UGH in the beginning is because the DES program runs
under DOS and can only encrypt entire 5.25 disks. Supporting 5.25s is great
but a program that only works with them is not terribly useful to the average
II user today. I say UGH to DOS big time myself and wonder why anyone uses it
for anything serious any more. What's more I expect people will want to 
encrypt files rather than entire disks.

>Now, if someone can tell me how to get 3.5 drives and controllers for
>about $50, not $500, then I'll agree with Randy.  Long live 5.25 DD floppy
>disks! :)

I don't bother with 5.25s on my IIgs any more. I have two 3.5s, a hard disk,
and server volumes. I'll keep two on my //e though. I'll have a pair of Disk
II's on my ][ if I get it going. It'll be cool, DOS, integer BASIC, and 48K.
Obviously it'll be just for fun, what could a fellow do with that setup?
--
Randy Shackelford                                "That's right, keep dancing
shack@crash.cts.com                               on the minefield"
                                                                  -Al Bundy