Path: utzoo!yunexus!ists!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!ucsd!usc!apple!mattd
From: mattd@Apple.COM (Matt Deatherage)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: PC-DOS on the Apple IIGS using PC Transporter
Message-ID: <36545@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 16 Nov 89 18:48:51 GMT
Article-I.D.: apple.36545
References: <13649.apple.net@pro-sol>
Organization: Apple Computer Inc, Cupertino, CA
Lines: 33

In article <13649.apple.net@pro-sol> lhaider@pro-sol.cts.com (Lawrence Haider) writes:
>
>Apple said that the IIgs can use 128 devices when it was first released.  When
>are they going to make good on that promise.  Or have I just been missing
>something for all these years?  I've got 7 disk devices and can use only 5 at
>a time, depending on the Control Panel settings.  Is there a way around this
>anyone?
> 
>lhaider@pro-sol.cts.com

I thought this was laid to rest in InCider or A+ a couple of years ago.

While it is true that the SmartPort firmware can theoretically handle up to 127
devices in the built-in SmartPort chain, the power supply to the computer can't
possibly handle that many 3.5" drives (or anything else, for that matter).  In
addition, ProDOS 8 can only handle 2 devices per slot (which makes a maximum
possible mapping of 14 devices, unless you rewrite ProDOS 8 and break everyone),
which further limits things.

This is the same kind of "not making good on the promise" as it is when you
realize that today nuclear holocaust is "theoretically allowed for", but we
haven't done that yet, either.


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