ralphw@ius2.cs.cmu.edu (Ralph Hyre) (12/13/85)
In article <2236@reed.UUCP> kamath@reed.UUCP (Sean Kamath) writes: [about new Apple // products] > There's lots of magic in the UniDisk connection, too. It's really >more than that. Apple's documentation call it CBUS--it's a non-standard >high-speed serial connection for "intelligent" paripherals. Why not use SCSI or the already existing Mac interface? (especially for new disk technology where you don't need to be compatible with the old controller) If Apple sold a SCSI-compatible 3 1/2" disk then I could have a system with ONE disk controller. Mac-compatibilty would conserve Apple's hardware development resources, and it also gives you more compatibility between machines. I guess the NIH (Not Invented Here) symdrome has been carried over from Apple's old product division structure as well. >become intelligent when they have a microprocessor and software in them. >Subsciber Tom Vier has discovered that inside each UniDisk 3.5 there's a >6502 microprocessor, ROM, RAM, and one of Apple's IWM chips. You're kidding! That's why they retail for $499 (although mail-order houses seem to have them for around $250 (w/controller)). Maybe I should add a terminal to my Unidisk and use it for my second computer :-) Why did Apple do this? Most people attach their drives to one machine. If the drive's 'intelligent', will it queue up read requests and have a chance at running a real multasking OS for the machine? (The disk was always the bottleneck before.) I'm worried because I remember those 'smart' Commodore disk drives. What implications will this have for copy protection? Where can a get an dumb, high-density (>720K) 3.5" drive for my Apple that I can use under ProDOS and CP/M? I'd even consider building a Mac-compatible controller or writing drivers if someone has a schematic. -- - Ralph W. Hyre, Jr. Internet: ralphw@c.cs.cmu.edu (cmu-cs-c.arpa) Usenet: ralphw@mit-eddie.uucp Fido: Ralph Hyre at Net 129, Node 0 (Pitt-Bull) Phone: (412)578-2847,578-3275 -- - Ralph W. Hyre, Jr. Internet: ralphw@c.cs.cmu.edu (cmu-cs-c.arpa) Usenet: ralphw@mit-eddie.uucp Fido: Ralph Hyre at Net 129, Node 0 (Pitt-Bull) Phone: (412)578-2847,578-3275