knudsen@ihnss.UUCP (02/17/84)
As long as someone was flaming about the magnetic storage on the QL (apparently Exatron Stringy Floppies, which were allegedly almost used in the Adam), I'd like to mention that I don't approve of any magnetic storage other than 8" and 5.25" floppies, plus audio cassette. Reason: Non-compatibility, and being locked into some oddball hardware and media. Adam's cassettes will keep CP/M off that machine. These and QL's can be at least justified as cost-cutters. I'd like to know the (non-ulterior) motive for putting that strange disk in the Mac, other than small size (they claim better reliability on inner tracks, due to spinning the motor faster on inners). A little arithmetic: Uncle Clive's stringies store 100K each, or 200K for two of 'em. A SSDD floppy gets 180K, almost the same. Commodore sells floppy drives complete with cabinet, power, and a 6502 controller for $250. It's hard to believe Sinclair couldn't put ONE bare drive of Commodore equivalent quality (??) in the QL for the price of two endless loop drives. Or make an even cheaper disk drive than anyone else. I'd make an exception for the Amdek 3" hard floppies, since they are plug- and format-compatible with 5.25" floppies. Otherwise, I wish makers of both super-cheap and upper-end personals would stop fighting standardization. Standards are the foundation of any industry. mike k
jed@mb2c.UUCP (John E. Duncan III) (02/18/84)
Yes, we certainly need to freeze technology. Lets keep 5-1/4 and 8 inch media forever, there couldn't possibly ever be anything better. Oh by the way, does anyone have a 7 track 200 bpi tape drive available in case I ever need to retrieve my old IBM program tapes from archival storage. :-) John Duncan (mb1c!jed) Michigan Bell (313) 424-0178
kurt@fluke.UUCP (Kurt Guntheroth) (02/21/84)
3" microfloppies (or 3 1/2" or whatever becomes the standard) are
worthwhile. They have the following advantages over 5 1/4" disks:
* Much higher density. Up to 400K on a single sided disk vs 230K tops on
very high priced 5 1/4" systems.
* Faster track to track times, faster startup times, lower latencies. This
is because the media in a 3 1/2" disk is rigid and is held in a rigid
plastic container with a metal hub. Overall, the same simple
manufacturing techniques result in a higher precision product that
* costs the same as 5 1/4"
* The 3 1/2" disks are sealed so you don't accidentially touch/spill coffee
on the media. They can be safely carried in your shirt pocket, mailed or
left on a table top without a jacket.
It's up to you. Do you want a faster, more reliable, safer, easier-to-use
medium at the same price or do you want what is familiar.
By the way, there is no such thing as compatibility among 5 1/4" disks.
There is barely compatibility among 8" disks in a single outdated mode.
Bring on the next generation!
--
Kurt Guntheroth
John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc.
{uw-beaver,decvax!microsof,ucbvax!lbl-csam,allegra,ssc-vax}!fluke!kurtburton@fortune.UUCP (02/22/84)
#R:ihnss:-193000:fortune:28000008:000:486
fortune!burton Feb 21 16:56:00 1984
As a matter of fact, the 3 1/2" drive in the Mac is also plug-compatible
with any 5 1/4" drive at the controller level.
Why would Apple use the smaller drive. (1) smaller drive --> smaller
overall packaging, and (2) the hard shell jacket is coffee-spill proof (and
dog-bit-proof).
Philip Burton 101 Twin Dolphin Drive
Fortune Systems Redwood City, CA 94065 (415) 595-8444 x 526
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{allegra decvax!decwrl!amd70 cbosgd harpo hpda ihnp4 sri-unix}!fortune!burtongrw@inmet.UUCP (02/24/84)
#R:ihnss:-193000:inmet:5800044:000:737 inmet!grw Feb 22 13:48:00 1984 Uncle Clive didn't put floppies in because he figured he could make a larger profit on the machine with the tape drives and because he gambled he could get away with it. I'd say given his track record he probably has guessed right though it will be a few years before we know if his QL will sell proportionally as well as his ZX80/81 machines. After all what works for over the counter junk may not work for professional workstations. He's developed a flat screen CRT in recent years. I'd be surprised if it doesn't turn up in a later version of the QL (maybe a QLP) as part of a portable version. -- Gary Wasserman ...harpo!inmet!grw ...hplabs!sri-unix!cca!ima!inmet!grw ...yale-comix!ima!inmet!grw ----------