Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 exptools 1/6/84; site ihnss.UUCP 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