rhunt@icard.med.unc.edu (Rick Hunt) (10/06/89)
I saw an ad in one of the Amiga mags recently for a hardware device that claims to copy 100% of Amiga software. It also says that it will copy IBM, ST, and maybe Mac disks (I can't remember for sure). ut of curiosity I decided to give them a call. I got one of their non technical people who told me it was a device that was connected between two disk drives, either two internals on a 2000 or internal and external on a 500. She said that it doesn't cause any problems (what else would she say >:-). I decided that instead of calling the company back and trying to track down the inventor I would impulse post instead. What I was wondering is has anyone had any experience with this device (Sorry I can't remember the name and the magazine is at home and I keep forgetting to bring it to work. A mind is a terrible thing to waste). Could it be really transparent? Could it cause damage to the drives in the long run? The reason that I would like to find out about this is that I can forsee the time when paying for parameter files for project D would become more expensive than than this copier ($100 BTW). Of course the parameter files will never stop but if this works it could be a one time cost. Yes I buy a lot of games ( I can't help myself. They keep calling to me from the shelves. I couldn't let them just sit there could I? >:-). And it looks like no one is willing to be the first to stop copy protecting even the strategic style games that I like sooo... I need to back them up. Please don't give me any lectures about piracy ( I give enough of those myself >:-). I have NO pirated software for my Amiga since I don't feel like shooting myself in the foot. I do have a lot of PD and shareware and am concerned about contracting computer diseases. I just want to make backups of all my stuff (and keep MEI microcenter in business singlehandedly). Allow me to digress a moment here. Speaking of shareware, send the author of Battleforce the $25 for the complete game. It is better than most commercial games and is very addictive. I also know of two people for whom it was a major deciding factor in their purchase of an Amiga. Hard to find a better recommendation for a shareware game than that. It is the best $25 I have ever spent on computer game. Rick Hunt rhunt@anesys.med.unc.edu disclaimer: I have no connection with the author of BattleForce. I can't even remember his name. I just like his game a lot. I also obviously have no connection with the above company since I can't remember its name either. If anyone needs to know the name of the copy device I guess I could try to find the name in the mag. Just try to realize what you are asking of me >:-). C The reason
news@uncmed.med.unc.edu (The News Administrator) (10/08/89)
was talking about earlier. The card was called the Amiga Super Card from
a company called Utilities Unlimited in Hillsboro, Oregon. The ad was in
Compute's Amiga Resource, October, p.67.
It claims to be easy to install, no soldering, and it copies 100%
of all software on 3.5" disks. So, what do you think?
Rick Hunt
rhunt@anesys.med.unc.edu
From: rhunt@icard.med.unc.edu (Rick Hunt)
Path: icard!rhuntmark@xrtll.UUCP (Mark Vange) (10/09/89)
In article <533@uncmed.med.unc.edu>, news@uncmed.med.unc.edu (The News Administrator) writes: > was talking about earlier. The card was called the Amiga Super Card from > a company called Utilities Unlimited in Hillsboro, Oregon. The ad was in > Compute's Amiga Resource, October, p.67. > It claims to be easy to install, no soldering, and it copies 100% > of all software on 3.5" disks. So, what do you think? Does it mention anywhere in their advertisement where this hardware plugs in, or what you need to do to get it to work? Failing that, is there a phone number or an address with the add (silly question, I know!). -- Mark Vange Phone Death Threats to: PAS Systems - "Plain and Simple" (416) 730-1352 mark@xrtll 8 Everingham Ct. North York "Every absurdity has a champion Ont, Canada M2M 2J5 to defend it." - Oliver Goldsmith
niesemc@econ.vu.nl (Marco Niese) (10/10/89)
In article <364@xrtll.UUCP>, mark@xrtll.UUCP (Mark Vange) writes: > In article <533@uncmed.med.unc.edu>, news@uncmed.med.unc.edu (The News Administrator) writes: > > It claims to be easy to install, no soldering, and it copies 100% > > of all software on 3.5" disks. So, what do you think? > > Does it mention anywhere in their advertisement where this hardware plugs > in, or what you need to do to get it to work? > Here there are 2 copy programs (Burst Nibbler and X-Copy) which both use or are going to use some additional hardware to enable your drives to *write* so-called 'long tracks'. Long tracks are written with the drive spinning at a lower speed. A standard drive can read them, but not write them. I believe Dragon's Lair used this method. The hardware -I have not seen it yet- is said to be connected to the Video Port at the back, and you connect your monitor cable to this device. The device may fool around with some external synchronisation, or something, to make the drives spin slower. This may also be wired on a card. QUESTION: 'copies 100% of all software on 3.5" disks'...... does this include MACINTOSH FORMAT DISKS?????? Hey A-Max owners! I have a vision of a nice and easy Mac -> A-max conversion utility... > > -- > Mark Vange Phone Death Threats to: > PAS Systems - "Plain and Simple" (416) 730-1352 mark@xrtll _______________________________________________________________________________ | # # # # | Marco Niese | //// | | # # # # |---------------------------------------| Just Say No | | # # # # | There's never time to do it right, | To Bugs | | # # # # | but allways time to do it over. | \\\\ //// | | #### ######### | (Meskimen's Law) | \\\\//// | | Economics |---------------------------------------| \\//// | | ('FEWEC') | E-Mail: niesemc@econ.vu.nl | A m i g a | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
rhunt@icard.med.unc.edu (Rick Hunt) (10/11/89)
OK, here I go again. The company that sells the Amiga Super Card
is called Utilities Unlimited, Inc. The address is Rt. 3 Box 236
Hillsboro, Oregon 97124. The telephone number is 503-647-5611.
Someone asked earlier where it connects. The lady I talked to
said it goes between two drives. I don't know how but she said it was
easy to install. Their advert says it copies 100% of all 3.5" disks
"that includes Atari, IBM, Apple." I presume that means Mac. It is a
software/hardware combo.
I have not intended for this to be free advertising for this
company (although it quickly seemed to turn into that, sorry). I had to
give the info so that people knew what I was asking about. If anyone
tries this thing I would appreciate an evaluation of it. Unfortunately I
won't be able to purchase this myself anytime soon since my 2000 coughed
up a lung and is in the shop. With the repair cost and other expenses
it might be a while before I have the spare cash.
Thanx heaps
Rick HuntSullivan@cup.portal.com (sullivan - segall) (10/14/89)
In case anyone else was wondering, I've been experimenting some with NIB. From what I can tell it uses a special boot loader which intercepts track read requests to a particular drive and track, and replaces them with the data expected. This is a nifty little hack, but the program isn't intelligent enough to know when the disk has been changed. As a result, the same track data will be given to the program even if the disk has been removed and replaced. I'm curious how many programs this would work for. I also wonder where the author has managed to stuff the extra bytes to make this scheme work. (Funny, and FTL claimed right here that DM was proof agains viruses.) ...let the good times roll. -ss Sullivan@cup.portal.com sun!cup.portal.com!sullivan The .signature file is currently Out of Order. We apologise for any inconvenience.