Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!think.com!mintaka!ogicse!cs.uoregon.edu!santeew
From: santeew@cs.uoregon.edu (John Wes Santee)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: Floppy drives and differing formats
Summary: Copy II Option Board
Message-ID: <1990Dec15.095546.13813@cs.uoregon.edu>
Date: 15 Dec 90 09:55:46 GMT
References: <5350@rex.cs.tulane.edu> <7167@chorus.fr>
Sender: news@cs.uoregon.edu (Netnews Owner)
Organization: Department of Computer Science, University of Oregon
Lines: 30

In article <7167@chorus.fr> mir@opera.chorus.fr (Adam Mirowski) writes:
>In article <5350@rex.cs.tulane.edu>, keating@rex.cs.tulane.edu (John W. Keating) writes:
>%% Why hasn't anyone come up with a floppy disk that can read and write in both
>%% IBM and Macintosh (and Amiga, and ...) formats?  Is the hardware so different
>%% that no one even wants to attempt it, or is it a matter of proprietory
>%% hardware?
>%% 
>%% On the same note, why hasn't a 5.25 inch drive been created for the IBM that
>%% can read and write in both 360K and 1.2M formats correctly?
>%% 
>%% It seems to me as if a drive that can do these things would be in high demand.
>%% 
>%% John
>
>Central Point Software manufactures an Copy II PC Option Board, which
>can read/create unusual formats on 5.25" diskettes, bypass copy
>protection etc. There could be a 3.5" version. Check with CPC.

The Option Board Deluxe will read and write many different formats including
PC, Atari, and Apple in both 5.25" and 3.5" formats.  It will also CONVERT 
BETWEEN IBM and MAC formats (granted you have the 3.5" drive.  It won't convert
between MAC 3.5" --> 5.25" IBM (even if 5.25" = 1.2M)

[stuff deleted]

--
Wes Santee			| "It all seems so stupid,
santeew@asterix.cs.uoregon.edu	|   it makes me want to give up.
				| But why should I give up,         -Martin 
				|   when it all seems so stupid."      Gore