Re: DSDD vs DSHD disks

[Simon Williams <DONTemail@luddite.ca>]

On Mon, 28 Oct 2002 09:48:30 -0600 "Joel" <joelbuckley54.nospam.@hotmail.com> wrote:

> 
> 
> "Quadrajet1" <quadrajet1@aol.com> wrote in message
> 20021028070606.24168.00001132@mb-md.aol.com">news:20021028070606.24168.00001132@mb-md.aol.com...
> > << "Adam Barr" <omashiroi@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> > 4b54956e.0210272035.1d0531e2@posting.google.com">news:4b54956e.0210272035.1d0531e2@posting.google.com...
> > > Does any one know a place that still sells new 5.25" disks? Thanks!
> > > -Adam
> >
> >    I have a bunch of blank 5.25 disks without jackets. They are white in
> color
> > too. Problem is, how do I tell the difference between DS/DD and DS/HD?
> There
> > are no extra notches or markings that I am aware of, like in 3.5 disks.
> >
> >   I do run across 5.25 DS/DD disks all the time brand new in the thrift
> stores,
> > etc all the time however.
> >
> > Raymond
> 
> I don't believe there are obvious ways to tell 360 vs 1.2M 5.25 disks.

Try to format DOS 3.3... seems to me that DDHD will occaisionally
accept ProDOS formatting, but DOS 3.3 is a different matter...

> Of course, the real spec for an Apple II disk is SSSD.
> How do you tell them apart from DSDD?
> And it was common practice to flip the disks over and use both sides 

I have stacks of SSSD disks that were used on both sides (presumably in
the early eighties) and the failure rate is about the same as with
DSDD. BTW this all came from the same original owner and were stored 
under very poor conditions so it's not a very scientifical comparison.

Now a further question is "Why are most DSDD diskettes only notched on 
one side?". Is there a 'nice' way to notch the other side? Between the
hole punch and exacto knife I've killed off more than a couple floppies.

SW