World's Crappiest Drives (was Re: A&J Microdrive)

From: Cameron Kaiser <spectre_at_stockholm.ptloma.edu>
Date: Wed Dec 6 17:37:05 2000

> > > > Any disk drive without a track 0 sensor (Apple ][, Commodore,
> > > > etc). The heads bang themselves out of alignment with time.

> > > OPEN 15,8,15,"I0:NEWDISK,ND"

> > True for 1541s, but not 1571s. 1571s do have a track 0 sensor. And a
> > v3.1 1571 is the best 5.25" drive out there, I submit -- with
> > appropriate software, a 1571 can read most MFM formats, plus Commodore
> > GCR, and runs very fast when connected to a 128 in 128 mode.

> How does one identify the version of 1571 ? Could you expand on
> what you mean by appropriate software ? Are there other platforms
> it can be used on ?

No, unfortunately -- just Commodore 8-bits. You can either figure out ROM
version by cracking it open and reading the EPROM serial number, or sending
the drive a UI command and reading the error channel -- it should say the
DOS version in the error string (something like 73,CBM DOS 1571 V3.1,00,00).
You can get the DOS version of any Commodore drive that way.

-- 
----------------------------- personal page: http://www.armory.com/~spectre/ --
 Cameron Kaiser, Point Loma Nazarene University * ckaiser_at_stockholm.ptloma.edu
-- Predestination was doomed from the start. ----------------------------------
Received on Wed Dec 06 2000 - 17:37:05 GMT

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