3.5" floppy drive in IBM XT?

From: J Forbes <jforbes2_at_mindspring.com>
Date: Mon Apr 14 12:58:18 2003

----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe" <rigdonj_at_cfl.rr.com>
To: <cctech_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Monday, April 07, 2003 6:12 PM
Subject: 3.5" floppy drive in IBM XT?


> I picked up an old IBM XT today and it has a 3.5" floppy drive in
it (and it works!) Anybody ever heard of this? The drive has
it's own controller card and both it and the drive appear to be IBM
parts. )I haven't pulled everything apart to be sure.) FWIW the
computer also has a FH 5 1/4" floppy drive and a HH 5 1/4" 10 Mb hard
drive with a Seagate logo on the front of it. Anybody know if
this is an original XT hard drive or a replacement drive? It's been so
long since I've seen an original XT with the 10 Mb drive that
I don't remember much about it.
>
> Joe

I have a highly original late production XT, with the 640k system board,
720k hh floppy, 360k hh floppy, and full height IBM 20mb hard drive.
Interesting features include a Y cable to power both floppy drives from
the PSU connector (Y cable has black wires, and a cloth tag with IBM
part number 6480173). Also, the 720k drive has a plain blue eject
button. The 3.5" drives from the PS/2 series were labelled 1.44m or
2.88m as appropriate. The 360k drive has an asterisk on it, just like
on the optional AT 360k drive. Apparently the IBM convention for 5.25"
drives was that if it was a full height floppy, drive then it was 360k,
if it was a half height drive it was assumed to be 1.2M, unless it had
an asterisk, then it was 360k.

Mueller's book says that the 640k system board, XT 20M hd, half height
360k drive, and 720k drive were introduced in April, 1986.

Hope this helps solve the mystery....

-- 
Jim
Visit the Selectric Typewriter Museum!
http://www.mindspring.com/~jforbes2
Received on Mon Apr 14 2003 - 12:58:18 BST

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