Re: MORE on flopticals and their ilk

[blasjw@ntmtv.com (Joseph Blas)]

In article <226ed5INNr4c@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu> florpch@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Lawrence S Lee) writes:
>
>I'm curious: would the big 128-megger SCSI optical drives work on a GS?
>
>Also, what sort of disk does a floptical use? Does it kinda look like any
>other floppy disk? From what I understand, flopticals use a laser or
>something to read/write, which results in more data being stored, right?
>
>(or I could be making a complete fool of myself, but what the hell)
>
>-- 
>Larry Lee                   |  Hocus Pocus
>florpch@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu  |  Rookie of the Year
>llee@imagelab.cbmv.jhu.edu  |  Weekend at Bernie's II
>llee@gnh-starport.cts.com   |                                  WHY?!

 Don't know the answer to your first question but I can answer the
rest.  A floptical disk looks like a standard 3.5" floppy.  The
difference is, it has tracks engraved on it so to speak.  Now, It does
not use a laser to read or write.  It uses a standard mangetic head to
do this.  Where the laser comes in is to track on the fine tracks that
were engraved on the disk.  The fact that the laser allows this very
precise tracking means that you can have many more tracks on the disk
as they are placed very close together.  So, basically what you have
is a regular floppy drive that uses a laser for very precise tracking
on special disks. 

                         Regards,

                           Joe

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