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From: timlee@bnrmtv.UUCP (Timothy Lee)
Newsgroups: net.micro.apple
Subject: Re: Apple 2 disks
Message-ID: <569@bnrmtv.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 31-Jul-86 17:11:29 EDT
Article-I.D.: bnrmtv.569
Posted: Thu Jul 31 17:11:29 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 2-Aug-86 22:12:43 EDT
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Organization: Bell Northern Research, Mtn. View, CA
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> An Apple ][ with software disk control will beat a
>    Radio Shack model II (w/controller) hands down in disk performance.
> 
>    * Faster track to track seek time.
>    * Higher density.
>    * Fast transfer times.

     * Much better reliability !!!
       Early RSTRS80M2 disk drives came up with error nearly 1 out of 8
       times with premium disks (with cheapo disks, 1 out of 4).  This
       required the addition of an `external data separator' (whatever).
       One issue of Byte tells you how to build one, and many issues of
       Byte had ads trying to sell `external data separators'.

> 
> Also you can operate the disk spinning backward, or lay down spiral sectors.

How do you spin the disk backward, other than turning it upside down?  Note
that turning upside down, while not the best thing for your disks, is possible
because the Apple disk drive and software ignore the index hole.  Ever notice
that when a piece of software has the Apple version on one side of the disk
and the other has the TRS80|Atari|Commodore|IBM version, the Apple side is
always on the back?  That all has to do with index holes.