rokicki@navajo.STANFORD.EDU (Tomas Rokicki) (10/27/86)
[ ,---\- losin' control ] I didn't believe it, but that fellow was right! I've gotten a few disk errors on some tan floppies, but the blue ones hold up every time! Be careful, folks; last time I went to a computer store to buy floppies, they tried to palm off some tan floppies on me claiming they were exactly the same brand and everything; I resisted and I'm glad I did. Buy blue floppies, let the Mac people use the tan ones.
dillon@CORY.BERKELEY.EDU (Matt Dillon) (10/28/86)
So far, in all of my disks, I've gotten a read error on exactly one... and, Guess What!!!! ... (Drum roll) IT WAS TAN! -Matt
wtm@neoucom.UUCP (Bill Mayhew) (10/29/86)
The last time I looked, most manufacturers have their product available in at least three colors, the most popular of which are: putty (previously called "tan"), blue, and black. Other color vairiants such as white and red are also available from several vendors. I've used lots of "tan" and "blue" floppies, both from Sony, and have not noted any statistical difference in quality. The "tan" Sonys were even bulk-packed, and didn't even say "Sony" on the stainless steel sliding part; to make matters worse they were only $1.49 each (they were designed for OEMs). Still the "tan" ones do just as well. The main thing is to worry about making sure that you buy 2S2D diskettes, as the 1S2D may eventually shed oxide (and your data) off the unpolished side. I do have one gripe about the old Dysan red disks, though. A friend mailed me some P/D programs on two Dysans. The ultrasonic welding was so poor that after several insertions in the Amiga, the plastic shell separated, and I was left with an handful of diskette parts when I ejected the offending diskette. Bill Bill Mayhew Division of Basic Medical Sciences Northeastern Ohio Universities' College of Medicine Rootstown, OH 44272 USA phone: 216-325-2511 (wtm@neoucom.UUCP ...!cbatt!neoucom!wtm , or whatever...)
beilke@puff.wisc.edu (Matt Beilke) (10/30/86)
In article <313@neoucom.UUCP>, wtm@neoucom.UUCP (Bill Mayhew) writes: > > ... > I've used lots of "tan" and "blue" floppies, both from Sony, and > have not noted any statistical difference in quality. The "tan" > Sonys were even bulk-packed, and didn't even say "Sony" on the > stainless steel sliding part; to make matters worse they were only > $1.49 each (they were designed for OEMs). Still the "tan" ones do > just as well. I really don't think the color actually makes a difference, after all it's just the plastic surrounding the actual disk. The important thing to consider when purchasing disk(ette)s is the manufacturer. In other words, buy from a reputable company (i.e., Maxell, Sony, etc.) and stay away from the no-names, and disks that you know are of cheap quality (i.e., BASF, Verbatim, Brown Disk, etc.). > > The main thing is to worry about making sure that you buy 2S2D > diskettes, as the 1S2D may eventually shed oxide (and your data) > off the unpolished side. > This is also VERY important. Don't you realize that those single sided disks are single sided for a reason? One side did not pass the quality test! So if you are willing to risk your data and/or programs to a defective disk, well, all I can say is, tough luck if you lose it. -Matt
bj@well.UUCP (Jim Becker) (10/30/86)
In all the use of floppies that I have done, the TANs tan your hide, even the ones from Amiga proper. I always buy Sony, either single or double but mostly double. They have a failure rate of 1/3500, next closest is 1/3000 but a little more is worth it. All my cassettes are Maxell also, no problems.
net@uwmacc.UUCP (jeff kesselman) (10/31/86)
In article <8610282057.AA08032@cory.Berkeley.EDU> dillon@CORY.BERKELEY.EDU (Matt Dillon) writes: > > So far, in all of my disks, I've gotten a read error on exactly one... >and, Guess What!!!! > > ... (Drum roll) > > IT WAS TAN! > Sorry to be a party pooper, but I have a blue disk that refuses to even take a format (the last 16 tracks do not validate). (But this is a pretty silly discussion, anyway!) Jeff Kesselman UUCP: ihnp4!uwvax!maccunix!net AARPA: net@unix.macc.wisc.edu
jeanne@reed.UUCP (Jeanne A. E. DeVoto) (10/31/86)
In article <313@neoucom.UUCP>, wtm@neoucom.UUCP (Bill Mayhew) wrote: >> The main thing is to worry about making sure that you buy 2S2D >> diskettes, as the 1S2D may eventually shed oxide (and your data) >> off the unpolished side. and then in article <278@puff.wisc.edu> beilke@puff.wisc.edu (Matt Beilke) wrote: > This is also VERY important. Don't you realize that those single >sided disks are single sided for a reason? One side did not pass the >quality test! So if you are willing to risk your data and/or programs >to a defective disk, well, all I can say is, tough luck if you lose it. Sorry, but you're both wrong. All manufacturers of 3.5" microfloppies that I know of polish both sides of the disk, first of all. Oxide ain't going to come off. On the point that Matt makes: most single-sided floppies either aren't tested at all on the second side, or test fine on both. It is rare to find a disk sold as single-sided that has medium problems on the second side. (I have also heard that some "single-sided" disks have tested OK on both sides, but are sold as SS because of market conditions...I don't know whether this is true.) What I do know is that I use a fairly large number of these disks, and I never buy disks labeled as DS if I can help it (because of the price difference). I have noted no higher a rate of failure than on identical disks I use as SS. (I don't know the mechanics of the Amiga drives, but the Mac's SS drive has a pressure pad where the second head is on the DS drive. This pressure pad can wipe gunk onto the second side of a disk, making it a bad idea to make a DS disk out of one that you've already used in a SS drive (consider the consequences of the second drive head plowing into said gunk). This topic was discussed on BIX's Mac forum a while ago, and I believe the salient parts of the discussion were reprinted in the Sept. '86 issue of Byte. The conclusion was that the "SS/DS" labels were mostly meaningless in judging disk quality/suitability for DS use.) ***Wistful Digression*** Although I am not an Amiga owner, I read this newsgroup because I do use a computer (the Mac) whose operating environment has many similarities to that of the Amiga. But I am disheartened by the attitude shown here whenever the Mac is mentioned. ("Hostility" is not too strong a word to use for it.) I have seen the Mac lumped in with the IBM PC, presumably simply on the grounds that both machines are used by more businesspeople than use the Amiga. I have seen Amiga/Mac wars in which the debate was seemingly limited to assertions such as: "All Mac owners are yuppies!" "Macs are useless because they don't do *true* multitasking!" and others which amount to "Yer machine's a wimp!" I've seen virtually no one willing to accept the idea that both machines have good qualities, and as a consequence I've seen no discussion at all of *the good things they have in common*: the concept of a highly intuitive, visually-oriented user interface, the experimentation with input devices other than typewriter keyboards, bit-mapped screens, and standardized information exchange between programs. Wouldn't talking about those things be more interesting than endless pointless putdowns? -- jeanne a. e. devoto | "The mind is an infinite resource...but ...!tektronix!reed!jeanne | only if you don't squander it." USsnail: 5353 SE 28th #38 | Portland, OR 97202 | James Hogan, "Voyage From Yesteryear"
walker@sas.UUCP (Doug Walker) (11/03/86)
I've had a couple of hundred floppies go through my drives, and I've had errors on three: TWO blue and ONE tan. So what does this mean? I dunno. . .
beilke@puff.wisc.edu (Matt Beilke) (11/03/86)
In article <4409@reed.UUCP>, jeanne@reed.UUCP (Jeanne A. E. DeVoto) writes: > In article <313@neoucom.UUCP>, wtm@neoucom.UUCP (Bill Mayhew) wrote: > >> The main thing is to worry about making sure that you buy 2S2D > >> diskettes, as the 1S2D may eventually shed oxide (and your data) > >> off the unpolished side. > and then in article <278@puff.wisc.edu> beilke@puff.wisc.edu (Matt Beilke) > wrote: > > This is also VERY important. Don't you realize that those single > >sided disks are single sided for a reason? One side did not pass the > >quality test! So if you are willing to risk your data and/or programs > >to a defective disk, well, all I can say is, tough luck if you lose it. > > Sorry, but you're both wrong. > All manufacturers of 3.5" microfloppies that I know of polish both > sides of the disk, first of all. Oxide ain't going to come off. > On the point that Matt makes: most single-sided floppies either aren't > tested at all on the second side, or test fine on both. It is rare to... A) You quoted me out of context, I did NOT say the oxide was going to rub off. B) If the single sided disk are not tested, how do they determine which disks are to be single sided and which are to be double sided? (Perhaps a random sorter) C) Back to the point, they failure rates of single sided disks are _MUCH_ higher than the failure rates of double sided disks. (And this is what I meant by what I said.) > What I do know is that I use a fairly large number of these disks, and > I never buy disks labeled as DS if I can help it (because of the price > difference). I have noted no higher a rate of failure than on identical > disks I use as SS. All I can say is that so far you have been very lucky. > ... But I am disheartened by the attitude shown here > whenever the Mac is mentioned. ("Hostility" is not too strong a word to > use for it.) I have seen the Mac lumped in with the IBM PC, presumably ... Well, the Mac shouldn't really be discussed in this newsgroup at all, except for comparisons. What you say however is true, the Mac is a nice little machine in its own right, BUT it lacks open architecture, true multitasking, etc. Besides, its natural for someone to say 'My Computer is better than yours.' NOTE: This arcticle was NOT meant to be a flame at Jeanne. =============================================================================== UUCP --> ...!{ihnp4,topaz,seismo,harvard}!uwvax!puff!beilke /kirk!diskman // ARPA---> beilke@puff.wisc.edu \uhura!scotty!diskman // CSNET--> beilke%puff.wisc.edu@csnet-relay \checkov!diskman \\ // AMIGA UUCP---> ...!{ihnp4,topaz,seismo,harvard}!uwvax!puff!beilke \// RULES! USPS---> Matt Beilke, 451 Witte B, Madison, WI 53706, USA ===============================================================================
fnf@mcdsun.UUCP (Fred Fish) (11/05/86)
In article <1993@well.UUCP> bj@well.UUCP (Jim Becker) writes: > >the ones from Amiga proper. I always buy Sony, either single or double but >mostly double. They have a failure rate of 1/3500, next closest is 1/3000 I have always bought either Sony or Maxell disks for distribution of my library, and have had exactly 2 (two) come back. Both were perfectly readable by my system but I chucked them anyway, attributing the problem to minor drive alignment differences. Does anyone know where to get a drive test disk? I.E. one of those specially recorded disks that have deliberate recording variations in track placement and intensity, and the corresponding software to interpret the results of trying to read it. (Gee, sure is nice to FINALLY be back on the net without having to call the Bay area from Phoenix!) -Fred -- =========================================================================== Fred Fish Motorola Computer Division, 3013 S 52nd St, Tempe, Az 85282 USA {mcdsun,well}!fnf (602) 438-5976 ===========================================================================