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From: explorer@tekig5.UUCP (Wayne Knapp)
Newsgroups: net.micro.mac
Subject: Re: single sided -> double sided
Message-ID: <545@tekig5.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 24-Mar-86 23:36:10 EST
Article-I.D.: tekig5.545
Posted: Mon Mar 24 23:36:10 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 26-Mar-86 07:19:10 EST
References: <3014@gatech.CSNET> <688@hlwpc.UUCP> <1349@cbdkc1.UUCP>
Reply-To: explorer@tekig5Knapp.UUCP (Wayne Knapp)
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, OR.
Lines: 18

In article <688@hlwpc.UUCP> cb@hlwpc.UUCP (C Blesch) writes:
>I asked
>my friendly computer-store salesman if this statement was true,
>because it meant I could buy boxes of single-sided disks
>instead of double-sided disks, at a $10/box savings.  The salesman
>said that all disks are double-sided, but that the disk companies don't
>guarantee the performance of the second side (i.e. it may have flaws).
>Of course, the disk makers keep this fact quiet!   The salesman said
>I would probably find that most of the single-sided disks work on
>both sides, but I should expect an occasional error.  If I learn to
>disable bad sectors, it shouldn't be a problem.

The reason for this is that when floppy disks are manufactured, they are tested
to be certified as either SS or DS diskettes.  But most of the disks pass the 
DS certification, so the manufacturer ends up with mostly DS grade diskettes.
But there is a greater demand for SS diskettes, so the manufacturer often sells
DS diskettes as SS product.  So what you may buy in the store labeled SS may
actually be certified for DS usage.  Then again, it may not be.