Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!sdd.hp.com!caen!kuhub.cc.ukans.edu!2hnemarrow From: 2hnemarrow@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Subject: Re: "floptical" drive questions Message-ID: <1991Apr9.125803.29557@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu> Date: 9 Apr 91 17:58:03 GMT References: <15769@smoke.brl.mil> <14260@darkstar.ucsc.edu> <6947@rex.cs.tulane.edu> Organization: University of Kansas Academic Computing Services Lines: 125 In article <6947@rex.cs.tulane.edu>, lang@rex.cs.tulane.edu (Raymond Lang) writes: > In <14260@darkstar.ucsc.edu> unknown@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (The Unknown User) writes: >> You could bypass a 3.5" 800K floppy altogether and get a Brier or Insite >>25 megabyte 3.5" floptical drive... They sound awesome and I think I'm gonna get one. >>They cost like $600 I've been told. > > Does anyone have more details on these? Specifically, is this a SCSI device? > What kind of disks do they accept? Is anyone out there using one on a IIgs? > Who sells them? I read about those a long time ago and called Insite myself about them. They said that the Floptical drives would be available in March (last month). I don't know what is going on right now. I'll have to call Insite again and see what's going on. In any case, here is the info I have on the Floptical drives right now (note that it may be a little dated): The INSITE Floptical (R) Diskette is a stadard 3.5" high-density diskette with optical servo tracks indelibly embedded into the surface. The precision of these sevo tracks provides a dramatic increase in storage capacity to -over 20MB-. Care and handling of Floptical diskettes is no different than that of any standard 3.5" diskettes. Drives The INSITE I325VM Floptical (R) Disk Drive has over 20MB of formatted capacity. The controller and SCSI interface support the Common Command Set (CCS), soft formatting, error checking and correction (ECC), and defect mapping. In addition, the I325VM (Variable Mode) offers full read and write downward compatability with current 3.5" 720kB and 1.44MB formatted diskettes. Result You can have the lowest cost for 20 MegaBytes of formatted data storage on a 3.5" diskette, plus full read and write compatability with all current low capacity diskettes. The Technology INSITE Peripherals` propriety design of the I325VM Floptical (R) Drive brings together removable floppy magnetic recording technology with the high track density of a closed loop optical servo. The combining of these technologies enables the INSITE drives to reach high data capacities using inexpensive, removable magnetic media. Our optical system in the carriage assembly detects grooves embedded in the diskette media and then converts the images to electronic signals which are used for servo tracking information. Magnetic data is written on the "land area" between any two adjacent grooves. A closed-loop servo holds the magnetic head precisely on track precise track alignment is accomlished electronically assuring total interchangability between diskettes. Read and Write compatibility with standard low capacity 3.5" diskettes is achieved using a proprietary dual-gap head. The Specs FLOPTICAL Standard Diskette DD/HD Diskette _________________________________________________________________ Capacity Unformatted: 25MB | 1 / 2 MB Formatted: 20.8MB | 720KB / 1.44MB | Recording 23,980 BPI (RLL) | 8,717 / 17,434 BPI Density | (MFM) | Transfer from 1.6Mbit/Sec. | 600K / 1.2Mbit/Sec. Disk: | | Buffer Transfer 2 MByte/Sec. Rate: Average Seek Time: 65 mSec. Settle Time: 15 mSec. Motor Start Time: 750 mSec. Number of R/W 2 Heads: | Track Density: 1250 TPI | 135 TPI | Cylinders: 755 | 80 Tracks: 1510 | 160 Rotational Speed: 720 r.p.m. Power Dissipation: 2.5 Watt avg Data Reliability: <1 Unrecoverable error per 10^12 bits Seek Errors: <1 Error per 10^6 seeks Drive Dimensions: H:1" W:4.0" D:5.91" "Floptical" is a Registered Trademark of INSITE Perepherals. All Patents Pending. These are the prices for the floptical drives as of July 1990: Sugg. List Price: Model 1325 -- $295.00 Model 1325VM -- $350.00 For additional information you may contact: Insite Peripherals, Inc. 4433 Fortran Dr. San Jose, CA 95134 (408) 946 - 8080 (I have called them myself and the operator was very nice and amazingly helpful. If nobody else posts it by the time I get back here, I'll try and get the most recent release date and prices. )