Re: MS-DOS FST?

[dempson@swell.actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

In article <e7Z23B1w165w@cibbs.north.net> jblass@cibbs.north.net
writes:
>
> This sounds very interesting, but is there any special
> Hardware requirements needed to read the Low density IBM formatted
> disks?? Or just the MS-DOS FST in the FST Folder?????? 

Yes, there are special hardware requirements.

You need a disk drive and disk controller which is able to handle the
IBM disk format, which is incompatible with Apple disk formats (800k
and earlier).

Your options are as follows:

1. Apple SuperDrive (or third-party equivalent) with SuperDrive
Controller Card.

The SuperDrive is able to read and write all existing Apple 3.5"
disks, as well as MS-DOS 720k and 1.44MB disks.  There is a limitation
with 720k format: you can read and write them, but can't format them.

You need the controller card as well as the new drive - either on its
own is not sufficient.  You can connect an existing 3.5" drive to the
card, but it won't be able to read 720k or 1.44MB disks.


2. SCSI 21MB Floptical drive (I'm not sure who makes them), and a SCSI
card.  A device driver is also required if you have an Apple SCSI card.

This will allow you to access 720k and 1.44MB floppies and 21MB
floptical (optical floppy) disks.  I don't think the existing
floptical drives can read Apple 400k and 800k disks.


3. It MAY be possible to use a PC Transporter with Apple 3.5 Drive, but
I don't know if it is able to read 720k disks while running as an Apple
disk controller (I've never tried it, and I doubt it will work).
-- 
David Empson                                                               
dempson@swell.actrix.gen.nz    <--- Note my new E-Mail address!            
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand