Re: High and Double density floppies

[dchiu@netcom.com (David C.W. Chiu)]

In article <2kc21q$kh@charm.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> valthoff@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Victoria M Althoff) writes:

>That leaves one of two possibilities:
>a)  The high-density disk coating requires a higher magnetic flux to record
>than the Disk ][ is capable of producing.  Given my experiences with 3.5" disk
>drives (I have successfully formatted 1.44MB disks for 400k using the old Lisa
>disk drive), I doubt that this is the case...especially since a high-flux
>requirement would probably increase the probability of corrupting data on
>adjacent tracks if the drive alignment isn't perfect.

I believe sire, you have the right reasoning there.

>b)  No one has had the guts to try it.  In that case, break out your System 
>Master, stick a 5.25"HD disk in the drive, and try INITing it  (hey...it's 
>quicker and easier than using the ProDOS System Utilities...) and see what 
>happens.  I see no reason why you shouldn't end up with a nice 143k 16-sector 
>34-track 5.25" single-sided diskette!

Actually, it has been tried. (Guess who did?) It wouldn't format no 
matter how hard I tried. Eventually I cave in and went out and bought myself
a batch of DSDD instead of DSHDs. Worked like a charm. The DSHD I bought
earlier ended up with my 486. Although I have developed a rather strong
distaste for 5.25" media... (can't toss them around like freespees)

>(then, do the logical thing--cut the notch and flip it over!)

Believe me, it doesn't work very well that way either... :(

>This reminds me of the early bullcrap about flipping disks over--claims that 
>only one side had been certified--claims that were easily debunked by pointing 
>out that some machines (i.e. CBM, Atari) put the R/W head on top, while others 
>(Apple) put the head on the bottom...

(Chuckle) Reminded me of certain comic printed on old Beagle Bros. 
catalog...:)