Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!ira.uka.de!i41s16!angelo
From: angelo@i41s16.ira.uka.de (Angelo Schneider Betr.Prechelt)
Subject: Re: Re: high density discs.
Message-ID: <1991Jun11.160020.8493@ira.uka.de>
Keywords: Mac
Sender: news@ira.uka.de (USENET News System)
Reply-To: angelo@i41s16.ira.uka.de (Angelo Schneider Betr.Prechelt)
Organization: University of Karlsruhe, FRG
Date: Tue, 11 Jun 1991 16:00:20 GMT
Lines: 38

 patrick@sideways.gen.nz (Pat Cain) writes:

>  The ability to read high density PC discs would be useful to a lot more
>  people than the ability to read Mac discs. 



Ha, Ha, Ha!
I' know about 20 Archimedes Users, none of them is a IBM User.
I use both, Macintosh and Archimedes. I *NEED* a Macintosh Disk Readeer for
the Archimedes!


he also writes:

>  Does anyone know if the high
>  density drives in the Macs are custom Apple ones (like their 800k drive)
>  or whether they are industry standard models? 


If you would know anything about the Mac you'd know that it is able to read 
and write all PC disk formats. And there is a little INIT which makes PC-Disks 
as easy to handle (under Mac OS / WIMP) as Mac-Disks.

The HD Drive used by Apple is a Sony Drive. The only differenc to other Drives 
is the ability to eject its Disks automaticly and to generate an interrupt when
a Disk is inserted.

The Disks are written in standard MFM-Format.

>  As long as they are standard drives then a high density drive for 
>  the Archimedes should be able to handle both PC and Mac formats with
>  the appropriate software.

What about the Hardware? Is the Archimedes' controller able to work with
HD-Drives? 

ciao angelo