Difference between revisions of "3½" & 5¼" Disk Drives"
| Line 2: | Line 2: | ||
Yet they were far more cheap and are nowadays easier to use. | Yet they were far more cheap and are nowadays easier to use. | ||
| − | |||
Especially the 3½" (3"1/2 ?) as those disk are still availlable in some retailers. You can also easily find such drives in any garbage if you properly scavenge old rusty computers. | Especially the 3½" (3"1/2 ?) as those disk are still availlable in some retailers. You can also easily find such drives in any garbage if you properly scavenge old rusty computers. | ||
| + | Those Disk size couldn't be side switched manually. | ||
| + | The older models where using only one side (360 Ko ?) | ||
| + | By double side (DD) or even High Density where available. | ||
| + | ==Formats == | ||
| − | + | 3"1/2 | |
| − | + | *DD = 720ko | |
| + | *HD : 1,44 Mo | ||
| − | + | 5"1/4 | |
| − | Also, the Disk were | + | *er...I don't remember (editors please ?) |
| + | *1,2 Mo was the maximum...on my old PC... | ||
| + | |||
| + | == A clever choice == | ||
| + | |||
| + | A great advantage at the time (in the 80's) was to get access to CP/M sofware library, as most of those were on such Disk. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Also, the Disk were far cheaper than the exotic 3", but...few CPC users actually got such drives. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Mostly professionnal users...The common snotling Gamer couldn't even dream of this...until nowadays. | ||
| + | |||
| + | As the magnetic disk is bigger...well the format is bigger too. | ||
| + | It is common to get 720Ko disk (using the 2 sides, so 80 tracks) | ||
| + | |||
| + | Many Modern CPC users replace their old 3" by an external 3"1/2, adding a Disk drive A-B / B-A switcher (allowing to use the external disk Drive as if it were the internal one = Drive A). | ||
| + | |||
| + | Also a side switcher allows to use a 3"1/2 disk like a 3" disk... switching manually the sides as needed by good old 3" disk drives (yet a decent sofware can do it). | ||
== Softwares released on 3"1/2 disk== | == Softwares released on 3"1/2 disk== | ||
*[[Orion Prime]] | *[[Orion Prime]] | ||
| − | This pure awsomness even use a full DD disk 80 tracks with more than 700Ko of Data, yet you have to get a DD disk Drive, as some older models may lack this feature | + | This pure awsomness even use a full DD disk's 80 tracks with more than 700Ko of Data, yet you have to get a proper DD disk Drive, as some older models may lack this feature... |
| − | |||
== Non 3" CPC disk drives == | == Non 3" CPC disk drives == | ||
| Line 29: | Line 48: | ||
* [[KDS 5¼" Disc Drive]] ([[KDS Electronics]]) | * [[KDS 5¼" Disc Drive]] ([[KDS Electronics]]) | ||
* [[F1|Vortex Disc Drives]] ([[Vortex Computersysteme|Vortex]]) | * [[F1|Vortex Disc Drives]] ([[Vortex Computersysteme|Vortex]]) | ||
| + | |||
| + | *any scavenged rusty junk may be good enough nowaday, if you have a 664 or 6128... | ||
[[Category:Hardware]][[Category:Peripherals]] | [[Category:Hardware]][[Category:Peripherals]] | ||
Revision as of 21:44, 6 October 2009
Those Disk Drives are not the original Amstrad standard.
Yet they were far more cheap and are nowadays easier to use.
Especially the 3½" (3"1/2 ?) as those disk are still availlable in some retailers. You can also easily find such drives in any garbage if you properly scavenge old rusty computers.
Those Disk size couldn't be side switched manually. The older models where using only one side (360 Ko ?) By double side (DD) or even High Density where available.
Formats
3"1/2
- DD = 720ko
- HD : 1,44 Mo
5"1/4
- er...I don't remember (editors please ?)
- 1,2 Mo was the maximum...on my old PC...
A clever choice
A great advantage at the time (in the 80's) was to get access to CP/M sofware library, as most of those were on such Disk.
Also, the Disk were far cheaper than the exotic 3", but...few CPC users actually got such drives.
Mostly professionnal users...The common snotling Gamer couldn't even dream of this...until nowadays.
As the magnetic disk is bigger...well the format is bigger too. It is common to get 720Ko disk (using the 2 sides, so 80 tracks)
Many Modern CPC users replace their old 3" by an external 3"1/2, adding a Disk drive A-B / B-A switcher (allowing to use the external disk Drive as if it were the internal one = Drive A).
Also a side switcher allows to use a 3"1/2 disk like a 3" disk... switching manually the sides as needed by good old 3" disk drives (yet a decent sofware can do it).
Softwares released on 3"1/2 disk
This pure awsomness even use a full DD disk's 80 tracks with more than 700Ko of Data, yet you have to get a proper DD disk Drive, as some older models may lack this feature...
Non 3" CPC disk drives
- Data Media Disc System
- Jasmin AM5D 5 "1/4 floppy drive
- KDS 5¼" Disc Drive (KDS Electronics)
- Vortex Disc Drives (Vortex)
- any scavenged rusty junk may be good enough nowaday, if you have a 664 or 6128...
