[comp.sys.cbm] 1541 compatible drives?

nms@cbnewsh.att.com (n.m.scribner) (12/04/90)

I am planning to buy a second 1541-2 type drive for a c64.  I have been
told by stores about two "compatibles", a Rapid Access FT148, and
an FSD-2.  The stores say these drives are entirely compatible and
at least a bit faster.

Does anyone have any experience or knowledge about them.
Are they really compatible (e. g. will they support
fancy disk to disk copies) ?  Are they reliable ?

Thanks
Neal Scribner (nms@homxb.att.com)

XWUU@PURCCVM.BITNET (12/04/90)

I have had an FSD-2 for just under 2 years with NO problems...Ever.  This
is after many revolutions of old games that make the head "bump" till you
think it will fall off.  I am just now wondering about realigning the head,
but have been told that due to superior construction of the innards, it is
highly unlikely that I even need to worry about it.

I have never run across any program, new or old, that it will not load/access.
I don't know what you mean by fancy, but I do lots of disk copies via GEOS and
an old copy of Prism's Super Nybbler.  This older pgm doesn't do some of the

things newer copy programs do, but works fine with my drive.

It IS faster, (a little) and more quiet (a lot).

Kirk A. Janowiak
XWUU@PURCCVM

treesh@vangogh.helios.nd.edu (12/05/90)

A friend of mine has the FSD2 drive, and while I can say it dont seem one
bit faster at all, its so far been 100% compatable!  As a matter of fact
if you do a dos verion check, it should (c) 1984 CBM!!!, I guess that means
it aucatlly uses commodore's rom in there?
 
ctfm