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From: cmcmanis@stpeter.Eng.Sun.COM (Chuck McManis)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Applied Engineering 3.5" drive...
Message-ID: <139346@sun.Eng.Sun.COM>
Date: 23 Jul 90 20:33:41 GMT
References: <1@<267941f0-23b9> <46200087@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu> <49413@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu> <31341@cup.portal.com> <1990Jul4.045351.23145@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> <31432@cup.portal.com> <90187.185652BRANDON@ncsuvm.ncsu.edu> <8670@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu>
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[I'm always suspicious of people who describe their system in their sig :-)]

This is something that will come up some more so I thought I would post a
little reminder about disks. Basically it goes something like this :

	"There is no conspiracy in the disk making business to sell
	 you the exact same media for more money because you can store
	 more bits on it."

You see a lot of people who don't know how magnetic media works either
notice or get told that sometimes a "single density" disk will work in
a "double density" drive, or that a "single sided" disk will work in a
double sided drive. Since the price of disks goes up with the number of
bits they are rated for, this leads them to believe they are getting
"ripped off" by the disk companies. So they go out an buy "punchers"
which can punch a hole in a single density disk and make it fool a 
drive or OS into formatting it as a double density drive. This is 
exactly analagous to putting tires designed for a Honda Accord onto
a Ferrari Testerossa. They work "fine" except they don't last as 
long and can blow out on you when you are trying to turn a tight
corner. It is just as painful when you faked double density disk
becomes unreadable while sitting in the drawer. 

Anyway, I don't no why I send this out. If you are one of these
people you won't believe me. You'll just say "Hah, a lot you know.
I've been doing this for _years_ and never had a problem." And
I will just nod my head and say "You can't say you were never 
warned." 

--
--Chuck McManis						    Sun Microsystems
uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis   BIX: <none>   Internet: cmcmanis@Eng.Sun.COM
These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you.
"I tell you this parrot is bleeding deceased!"