8" floppy project

From: Joe R. <rigdonj_at_cfl.rr.com>
Date: Tue Aug 10 06:46:00 2004

At 10:46 PM 8/9/04 +0100, you wrote:
>> > > also try AnaDisk to analyse foreign disks, both programs can be
>> > > found everywhere on the net.
>> >
>> > Only if you happen to run an MS-DOS PC.
>> >
>>
>> Not to start a flame-war, but we're talking about methods using various
>> equipment to archive and/or analyze foreign diskettes. 'Running an
>
>AFAIK, Teledisk only handles 'standard' disk controllers. It wouldn't
>work with a Catweasel card, for example. Which immediately limits the
>disks it can be used with.

  I'm no expert on disk but IIRC there's NO software for the Catweasel
except what you write yourself so why does the make Teledisk any less
appealing?



>
>> MS-DOS machine' amounts to having one somewhere in the shop you can use
>> for this kind of specialized work. If you detest Microsoft, use DR-DOS
>> or FreeDOS or any of the alternatives. Obviously nobody (or barely
>> anybody) 'runs' an MS-DOS machine as a primary workstation in this day
>> and age. It would make sense, though, to recognize that a machine like
>> that is useful for a few occasional purposes and not 'boycott' them for
>> some high-and-holy reason.
>
>So what happens in 20 years time when you want to recover the data from
>one of these Teledisk archive files, and when there are no suitable PCs
>left running

    I have a 20+ plus year old PC that runs just fine. I've passed up
HUNDREDs more that also worked fine. In fact, I've seen almost none that
didn't work.




(PC hardware is notoriosuly badly docuemnted and therefore
>difficult to maintain

   Bah! The PC is probably THE best documented computer out there. Name
another company that produced as thorough a Tech Ref as IBM. Name another
comany that has produced and PUBLICLY sold as many service and parts
manuals as IBM has for the PC AND ALL OF IT'S ACCESSORIES AND PERIPHERALS.
Name another computer with as many choices of OS and as many versions,
including third party and public domain OSs. Name another computer that has
had THOUSANDS of third party books written about it. Name another computer
that has as much third party hardware and software support. List another
computer that you can go to ANY school in the modern world and take classes
on. Name another computer that was build with all standard TTL parts like
the original PC was. Finally name another computer that was sold in the
huge quantities and that you can find on EVERY continent like you can a PC.

    You just don't like PCs and MS-DOS! You've told me that face to face
personally. Sure there are other computers that are smaller, bigger,
faster, that do X better, etc, etc, etc but in terms of just plain
availability and usefullness I'd pick a PC everytime.



-- have you ever seen official schematics to a PC
>later than a 286?).

   Then don't use a "later than 286" PC. That's one of the beauties of the
PC family, it IS a family and there are many specific models to choose
from. Not only are there different models within IBM but there are many
different brands to choose from and they're all compatible with the
exception of a relatively few early machines.

>Sorry, but if I want to achive data, I want the
>format of the archive to be fully documented so that I can recover it on
>whatever machine I have access to.

    Yeah, like you're really going to get full documentation for that
CatWeasel card!

  Joe



     Joe

>
>-tony
>
Received on Tue Aug 10 2004 - 06:46:00 BST