[net.micro.cbm] C64 disk drives

paulw@amd70.UUCP (Paul Woods) (06/14/84)

Has anyone found a good disk drive that can be used with the
C64.  I have seen Commodore's disk drive, the 1541 I think that is
the number, and I have not been impressed.  In fact after reading
about all of the problems people out here are having with this disk
drive, I can not force myself to spend $270.00 for this poorly
designed paper weight.  Does anyone know for sure if Commodore is or
is not going to make an improved parallel interface disk drive?  If
so, when can we expect to see it out in the market place?  Otherwise
I would like to find another brand of disk drive that can operate on
the C64 without having to resort to a CPM interface.

I would like to have all replies posted to the general net.micro.cbm
for I find that the more who read these postings, the better the
feedback.

Paul Woods

Advanced Micro Devices
MCS Division, M/S 6
901 Thompson Place
Sunnyvale, Ca. 94088

calway@ecsvax.UUCP (06/18/84)

x
Commodore plans to release a new parallel disk drive in the fall, and it is supposed to be five times faster than the 1541. Unfortunately, it works only with the new Plus/4 and Model 16 computers, not with the 64.
A company called Concorde makes a parallel drive for the 64. It costs approx. $380 and is supposed to be compatible with any software that accesses the drive through BASIC or the "kernal" in the normal way. It seems to require a bit of
memory overhead, but that includes its
own DOS.
I don't ave Concorde's address handy, but it is somewhere in California. I think someone else makes a similar machine, but the name escapes me.

James Calloway
The News and Observer
Box 191
Raleigh, N.C. 27602
(919) 829-4570
{akgua,decvax}!mcnc!ecsvax!calway

bllklly@uwmacc.UUCP (06/25/84)

f u cn rd ths, u dn't hv ln etng bg

Concerning disk drives for the C64 other than the 1541:
More on the Concorde drive:  I don't have 1st or even 2nd-hand experience
with it, but I do have a catalog that lists it.  It's supposed to work with
Vic-20's and SX-64's too and be 4-10 times faster than the 1541. They
say it's "100% compatible", but I'd make sure it reads 1541-written disks!
It's gotta be better than the 1541.  The local Commodore club claims
that EVERY 1541 will eventually go out of alignment, and it cost me $60
to get mine realigned when mine did.

The catalog I have is Tenex Computer Express, P.O.Box 6578, South Bend, IN
46660, 1-800-348-2778.  If you check Compute! or  one of the other 
micro magazines, you ought to find others who carry it.

mikec@tekred.UUCP (10/17/86)

[Is there really such a thing as a line-eater?]

I'm interested in the features, compatibility w/ protected software,
and price of disk drives for the c64.

Please share your experiences and knowledge of compatible drives or of
magazine reviews that would help.  I'm new to this net; if this has
already been over-discussed, please reply through e-mail.

Thanks in advance.  ..mac