Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!mintaka!bloom-beacon!eru!hagbard!sunic!isgate!krafla!adamd
From: adamd@rhi.hi.is (Adam David)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: Re: Larger / non-std fd formats (ST).
Message-ID: <3178@krafla.rhi.hi.is>
Date: 23 May 91 03:57:07 GMT
References: <3115@krafla.rhi.hi.is> <3143@krafla.rhi.hi.is> <813@philica.ica.philips.nl> <3157@krafla.rhi.hi.is> <816@philica.ica.philips.nl>
Organization: University of Iceland
Lines: 30

In <816@philica.ica.philips.nl> adrie@philica.ica.philips.nl (Adrie Koolen) writes:

>In article <3157@krafla.rhi.hi.is> adamd@rhi.hi.is (Adam David) writes:
>>I agree that compatibility between different types of drives / controllers is
>>a potential hazard well worth being aware of. Modern drives conform to a
>>higher standard of design / manufacture in this respect.

>`Modern drives' are not yet old, but they will be somewhere in the future.
>When current modern drives get old, they won't get better; they probably run
>worse as they get aged. Also, the diskettes they've now written, are also
>worn-out after a few years.

I agree with you entirely. My main point is that the standard of manufacture
has (in most cases) improved considerably over the last two or three 5-year
periods. Floppy disks used to be rated for 5 years storage if used lightly
enough not to wear the magnetic surface clean away. Today's floppies are
rated at ten years reliable storage and it is possible to get Teflon-coated
disks which reduce the problem with the surface wearing out.

Newer models of drives are mostly improvements over previous models.
Manufacturing techniques, materials and knowledge have definitely improved.
You make a valid statement and so do I. Just take a (little-used) drive
from ten years back and a modern one. If you find no significant difference
I'd be inclined to say that the so-called modern drive was old stock.

Who trusts valuable data to magnetic media anyway? :-)

--
Adam David.
(adamd@rhi.hi.is)