keating@rex.cs.tulane.edu (John W. Keating) (12/10/90)
Why hasn't anyone come up with a floppy disk that can read and write in both IBM and Macintosh (and Amiga, and ...) formats? Is the hardware so different that no one even wants to attempt it, or is it a matter of proprietory hardware? On the same note, why hasn't a 5.25 inch drive been created for the IBM that can read and write in both 360K and 1.2M formats correctly? It seems to me as if a drive that can do these things would be in high demand. John
sheinfel@grad1.cis.upenn.edu (Aviad Sheinfeld) (12/10/90)
In article <5350@rex.cs.tulane.edu> keating@rex.cs.tulane.edu (John W. Keating) writes: >Why hasn't anyone come up with a floppy disk that can read and write in both >IBM and Macintosh (and Amiga, and ...) formats? Is the hardware so different >that no one even wants to attempt it, or is it a matter of proprietory >hardware? > >John John, The Superdrive that comes standard in all new Apple Macs can read/write IBM and Macintosh files. It's great for friends who have Macs, since my IBM is hooked up to a laser printer :-) Aviad
baum@Apple.COM (Allen J. Baum) (12/11/90)
[] >In article <5350@rex.cs.tulane.edu> keating@rex.cs.tulane.edu (John W. Keating) writes: >Why hasn't anyone come up with a floppy disk that can read and write in both >IBM and Macintosh (and Amiga, and ...) formats? Is the hardware so different >that no one even wants to attempt it, or is it a matter of proprietory >hardware? Someone has. They're called Apple computer. All the newer Macs have drives that can read both formats (with appropriate software, which you can also get from Apple) -- baum@apple.com (408)974-3385 {decwrl,hplabs}!amdahl!apple!baum
nazgul@alphalpha.com (Kee Hinckley) (12/11/90)
In article <5350@rex.cs.tulane.edu> keating@rex.cs.tulane.edu (John W. Keating) writes: >Why hasn't anyone come up with a floppy disk that can read and write in both >IBM and Macintosh (and Amiga, and ...) formats? Is the hardware so different >that no one even wants to attempt it, or is it a matter of proprietory >hardware? All of the new Mac machines, and the high-density drives they sell separately, can read IBM formats. And you can buy a cheap Init that will even let all of the files show up on the desktop instead of using the file converter utility. I believe their is software for the Amiga that will read both Mac and IBM disks. -- Alphalpha Software, Inc. | motif-request@alphalpha.com nazgul@alphalpha.com |----------------------------------- 617/646-7703 (voice/fax) | Proline BBS: 617/641-3722 I'm not sure which upsets me more; that people are so unwilling to accept responsibility for their own actions, or that they are so eager to regulate everyone else's.
mir@opera.chorus.fr (Adam Mirowski) (12/13/90)
In article <5350@rex.cs.tulane.edu>, keating@rex.cs.tulane.edu (John W. Keating) writes:
%% Why hasn't anyone come up with a floppy disk that can read and write in both
%% IBM and Macintosh (and Amiga, and ...) formats? Is the hardware so different
%% that no one even wants to attempt it, or is it a matter of proprietory
%% hardware?
%%
%% On the same note, why hasn't a 5.25 inch drive been created for the IBM that
%% can read and write in both 360K and 1.2M formats correctly?
%%
%% It seems to me as if a drive that can do these things would be in high demand.
%%
%% John
Many people already did respond to the first question pointing to
new Mac drives, but maybe the author wanted a PC side solution.
Central Point Software manufactures an Copy II PC Option Board, which
can read/create unusual formats on 5.25" diskettes, bypass copy
protection etc. There could be a 3.5" version. Check with CPC.
The problem with 360Ko vs 1.2 Mo drives is that tracks are narrower
on 1.2 Mo diskettes; so are the heads. 1.2 Mo drives write narrower
tracks on 360 Ko diskettes, and if you use them to erase information
previously written by ordinary drives, only the middle of the wide
360-only-drive track will be rewritten. If you try to read such a
diskette on a 360-only drive, its wide head will get confused by the
non erased information.
You don't want a variable geometry head in each 1.2 drive, do you?
Or two heads on both sides of the drive? Plus additional hardware
to drive the stepper motor?
--
Adam Mirowski, mir@chorus.fr (FRANCE), tel. +33 (1) 30-64-82-00 or 74
Chorus systemes, 6, av.Gustave Eiffel, 78182 Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines CEDEXask@ulysses.att.com (Art S. Kagel[tfw]) (12/14/90)
In article <5350@rex.cs.tulane.edu>, keating@rex.cs.tulane.edu (John W. Keating) writes: > Why hasn't anyone come up with a floppy disk that can read and write in both > IBM and Macintosh (and Amiga, and ...) formats? Is the hardware so different > that no one even wants to attempt it, or is it a matter of proprietory > hardware? > Note that the newer MacIntosh SuperDrive diskette drives can read IBM format 3 1/2" diskettes and that the Copy II PC Option board, an internal card, can allow a PC to read (and I think write) Mac floppies. > > On the same note, why hasn't a 5.25 inch drive been created for the IBM that > can read and write in both 360K and 1.2M formats correctly? > I have a Toshiba 5 1/4" 1.2M floppy drive and for four years have successfully read, written, and formatted 360K diskettes which were readable on every 360K drive I have carried them to (except one badly aligned drive which sometimes had trouble reading its own output.) The secret is the alignment of the 1.2M drive must be near perfect. This Toshiba drive has held its alignment since installation.
santeew@cs.uoregon.edu (John Wes Santee) (12/15/90)
In article <7167@chorus.fr> mir@opera.chorus.fr (Adam Mirowski) writes: >In article <5350@rex.cs.tulane.edu>, keating@rex.cs.tulane.edu (John W. Keating) writes: >%% Why hasn't anyone come up with a floppy disk that can read and write in both >%% IBM and Macintosh (and Amiga, and ...) formats? Is the hardware so different >%% that no one even wants to attempt it, or is it a matter of proprietory >%% hardware? >%% >%% On the same note, why hasn't a 5.25 inch drive been created for the IBM that >%% can read and write in both 360K and 1.2M formats correctly? >%% >%% It seems to me as if a drive that can do these things would be in high demand. >%% >%% John > >Central Point Software manufactures an Copy II PC Option Board, which >can read/create unusual formats on 5.25" diskettes, bypass copy >protection etc. There could be a 3.5" version. Check with CPC. The Option Board Deluxe will read and write many different formats including PC, Atari, and Apple in both 5.25" and 3.5" formats. It will also CONVERT BETWEEN IBM and MAC formats (granted you have the 3.5" drive. It won't convert between MAC 3.5" --> 5.25" IBM (even if 5.25" = 1.2M) [stuff deleted] -- Wes Santee | "It all seems so stupid, santeew@asterix.cs.uoregon.edu | it makes me want to give up. | But why should I give up, -Martin | when it all seems so stupid." Gore
RHOPGOOD@vm.ucs.UAlberta.CA (Robert Hopgood) (12/18/90)
In article <7167@chorus.fr>, mir@opera.chorus.fr (Adam Mirowski) writes: >Central Point Software manufactures an Copy II PC Option Board, which >can read/create unusual formats on 5.25" diskettes, bypass copy >protection etc. There could be a 3.5" version. Check with CPC. > We have CPS' Copy II PC Option Board here. It has the capablility to copy Mac and Apple disks. It can also convert these disks to the IBM format. I believe this will work for text files only, though. I copied my mother's Apple Works disks for her (she only has 1 drive and still isn't that confident with the machine). The only question is that the Option Board gave a warning about the reliability of the copy as it couldn't verify the CRC properly. Other than that it seems like a very nice product.