kevin@kosman.UUCP (Kevin O'Gorman) (07/02/89)
I've been using floppies for quite a while without thinking about this, but I just went to Egghead ^Discount Software and got a box of their bulk HighDensity Floppy disks to use with my new 286, and lo and behold the disks did not have hub rings. Well, I just don't know whether to worry about this or not. I'm looking for anyone with actual experience which bears on the the usefulness or neccessity of hub rings on floppies. I can figure out for myself that they might make a difference if something tried to tear the center of this disk, but I don't know how likely this is to ever happen. The HD drive I'm using is one of those where the disk sort of "clicks" into place, so I'm not likely to try to use it with the disk only partly inserted, for instance. Also, is there any good way to put rings on these puppies if I get convinced I should have them?
chao@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Chia-Chi Chao) (07/03/89)
In article <804@kosman.UUCP> kevin@kosman.UUCP (Kevin O'Gorman) writes: >I've been using floppies for quite a while without thinking about this, >but I just went to Egghead ^Discount Software and got a box of their >bulk HighDensity Floppy disks to use with my new 286, and lo and behold >the disks did not have hub rings. I have heard that the high density disks don't need hub rings (because of better drives?). I don't know if this is true though.
bill@bilver.UUCP (Bill Vermillion) (07/03/89)
In article <804@kosman.UUCP> kevin@kosman.UUCP (Kevin O'Gorman) writes: .... >bulk HighDensity Floppy disks to use with my new 286, and lo and behold >the disks did not have hub rings. .... >I'm looking for anyone with actual experience which bears on the the >usefulness or neccessity of hub rings on floppies. I can figure out >for myself that they might make a difference if something tried to >tear the center of this disk, but I don't know how likely this is to >ever happen. The HD drive I'm using is one of those where the disk >sort of "clicks" into place, so I'm not likely to try to use it with >the disk only partly inserted, for instance. Being a long time user of 5" floppies, don't worry about it. ( I have a 5" shugart 400 with serial number 1482 - from the first run of 5" drives ever made - sort of a nostalgice collectors item). The first drives clamping rings (the device that grabs the disc in the center to enable it to spin) had shallow ramps. If the disc weren't correctly centered in it's jacket (and it got to be habit to manually do that) you could close the clamp on the disk and ruin it, or get it enough off center not to be readable, or worse, write to it, and never read it again. Later on mfrs went to longer/steeper cones in an effort to help center the disks more readily. Also mfrs started putting re-inforcing rings on the diskettes to help alleviate damage. When half-height disks came out the motors were direct drive instead of pulley/belt to the spindle. All the half-height drives I have seen (there may be some that violate this rule) spin the drive motor as you insert the disk. The rotating spindle self-centers the diskette as you close the door and there is no easy way to damage the disk. (Putting the disk in with the computer turned off is one way!). So in the current state of most half-height drives you will never need to worry about having hub-rings, particularly if you always insert diskettes with power on. bill -- Bill Vermillion - UUCP: {uiucuxc,hoptoad,petsd}!peora!rtmvax!bilver!bill : bill@bilver.UUCP
kji@vpnet.UUCP (Ken Isacson) (07/04/89)
Floppies without the hub rings are the AT 1.2 meg types !
karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Karl Denninger) (07/04/89)
Some floppies for ATs DO come with hub rings though. Either will work, but you have to be more careful with the non-ringed ones. In practical use, either is fine. Just don't go jamming the door down unless the disk is fully inserted! -- Karl Denninger (karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM, <well-connected>!ddsw1!karl) Public Access Data Line: [+1 312 566-8911], Voice: [+1 312 566-8910] Macro Computer Solutions, Inc. "Quality Solutions at a Fair Price"