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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!ihnss!knudsen
From: knudsen@ihnss.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: QL, Mac, Adam, non-std magnetics
Message-ID: <1930@ihnss.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 16-Feb-84 19:30:46 EST
Article-I.D.: ihnss.1930
Posted: Thu Feb 16 19:30:46 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 18-Feb-84 01:24:40 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 21

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