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From: ABN.COSCOM-CE%usc-isid@sri-unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: hard sectored vs. soft sectored 5 1/4" floppies
Message-ID: <13894@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 21-Nov-83 10:32:00 EST
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.13894
Posted: Mon Nov 21 10:32:00 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 26-Nov-83 06:03:13 EST
Lines: 20

As far as I know the difference between hard sectors and soft sectors is
analogous to the difference between using a cartridge versus a disk to 
load a program on an ATARI.  A disk has to have certain pointers and 
directory space formatted onto  it. Otherwise the drive or computer would
not know where the software is located on the disk. With systems that use
hard sectored disks, the software to ormat a disk is not included with 
the system and the disk formatting is done by the manufacturer.  With soft
sectored disks the formatting software is included or can be purchased and 
the disk is purchased virtually blank. One advantage for the hard sectored
type is that the operator does not have to understand how to format.  
Additionally, the company then has more control over the disk market.  That is 
why hard sectored disk are almost always provided with dedicated word
processing systems such as Lanier and Micom.

So, like the cartridge versus disk, the hard sectored disk is an unwritable
format scheme while the soft sectored disk is a writable scheme at the operator
level.  (not a very hot analogy I realize but I tried)

Kevin Rappold
1LT US Army