info-mac@utcsrgv.UUCP (info-mac) (05/24/84)
Date: Wed 23 May 84 18:03:36-MDT From: Randy Frank <uw-beaver!FRANK@UTAH-20.ARPA> Subject: memorex micro-floppies To: info-mac@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA Due to the almost total unavailablily of Apple floppies, we've been looking into other sources. We just got a shipment of Memorex micro floppies, which don't have any form factor problems, but with which we seem to be having an unusually large number of problems with read/write errors. Has anyone else been using the Memorex floppies, and what are your experiences (did we just get a bad batch, or is Memorex having problems). In fairness to Memorex, they actually sent someone out here to check out our problems, and have taken a batch back to the labs for analysis, so they're being helpful. I'm just curious if our problems are local or not. Randy (The availability problem of Apple floppies is so bad I understand that Apple will only let consortium schools and dealers order one box of floppies per Mac ordered/delivered) -------
info-mac@utcsrgv.UUCP (info-mac) (05/25/84)
Date: Wed 23 May 84 17:29:48-PDT From: Joseph I. Pallas <uw-beaver!PALLAS@SU-SCORE.ARPA> Subject: Re: memorex micro-floppies To: FRANK@UTAH-20.ARPA Cc: info-mac@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA In-Reply-To: Message from "Randy Frank <FRANK@UTAH-20.ARPA>" of Wed 23 May 84 17:21:28-PDT I haven't had any personal experience with Memorex micro-floppies, but one of the people with the Stanford consortium group said they had had a bad experience with Memorex (she said that two of ten floppies failed to format, and the remainder gave many errors). We were advised to avoid them. Apple went to a lot of trouble to pack the maximum number of bits on these disks with their variable-speed trick -- maybe Memorex isn't allowing for high-density recording schemes in their quality control. joe ------- Date: Wed, 23 May 84 20:54:03 cdt From: Keith Cooper <fbag@rice.ARPA> To: info-mac@sumex-aim.ARPA Subject: floppy availability I don't understand the rumor about consortium schools having quotas on boxes of floppies. Not only can we order as many floppies as we want with a machine, but boxes of floppies are available over the counter at the Rice Campus Store. (Of course, prices are different for people who are not immediate members of the Rice community. It may be that they only sell to Rice folks - they require a Rice id on all sales.) Further, I see ads all over the place for BASF micro floppies (see pp 64 - 65 of the May 14 ComputerWorld). Finally, you should be able to get them from HP, which has been using them for some time. My friends inside HP insist that THEY have no supply problems. keith Date: Wed 23 May 84 19:43:14-PDT From: STERNLIGHT <STERNLIGHT@USC-ECL.ARPA> Subject: Re: memorex micro-floppies To: FRANK@UTAH-20.ARPA, info-mac@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA cc: STERNLIGHT@USC-ECL.ARPA In-Reply-To: Message from "Randy Frank <FRANK@UTAH-20.ARPA>" of Wed 23 May 84 17:55:10-PDT I, too have had bad luck with Memorex 3-1/2 inch floppies. Microsoft basic originally came on one, as did Multiplan. The shutter on my Memorex floppy keeps coming off if you don't handle it exactly right. Thus my second choice after Apple's Sony floppies is Hewlett Packard's Sony floppies. I have not had any trouble with them even though both the Lisa and Mac store more on them than does HP, due to the variable speed of Apple's read/write process. I use them on both the Lisa and Mac, particularly for masters since the blue color of the case is very distinctive, and use Apple's version for work disks. HP also claims the media surfaces turn white when they are nearing the end of their service life, an important warning for masters. I don't know if Apple's version also turns white; Apple is mute on this subject. (By the way, my Multiplan upgrade from Microsoft came on a blue Sony floppy, not the black Memorex; perhaps they, too have switched permanently.) --david-- ------- Date: Wed 23 May 84 19:50:45-PDT From: William "Chops" Westfield <BILLW@SRI-KL.ARPA> Subject: Re: memorex micro-floppies To: FRANK@UTAH-20.ARPA cc: info-mac@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA In-Reply-To: Message from "Randy Frank <FRANK@UTAH-20.ARPA>" of Wed 23 May 84 17:34:23-PDT Hewlett Packard micro-disks (as used for the HP150, etc) will work in a MAC. HP people who are playing with MACs are of course using these, and I havent heard of any problems occuring (though I am not in close contact with HP). BillW ------- Date: Thu 24 May 84 10:29:04-EDT From: Rich Cower <COWER@COLUMBIA-20.ARPA> Subject: Floppies To: info-mac@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA We have been using Sony Micro Floppydisks OM-D3320. We have found a source in New York who will discount them for large orders (5 or more boxess) and they have all worked very well. If you're in New York - it is Computer ERA, 689-6500. Ask for Hal. .Rich ------- Date: Thu, 24 May 84 10:01:51 PDT From: Kenneth Clark <clark@AEROSPACE> To: Randy Frank <FRANK@UTAH-20.ARPA> CC: clark@AEROSPACE, info-mac@SUMEX-AIM Subject: memorex micro-floppies In-reply-to: Your message of Wed 23 May 84 18:03:36-MDT I have been using the Memorex micro-disks now for about a month and have experienced no problem whatever (except that the dealer charged me $71.00 for one box!). They don't seem as well made as the Apple ones judging by external appearances, but I have had no read/write errors so far...