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From: chowg@ecf.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm
Subject: Commodore 2031 disk drive
Message-ID: <166@mv06.ecf.toronto.edu>
Date: Tue, 26-May-87 11:48:28 EDT
Article-I.D.: mv06.166
Posted: Tue May 26 11:48:28 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 27-May-87 01:19:33 EDT
Distribution: na
Organization: Engineering Computing Facility, University of Toronto
Lines: 32


                      

I own a Commodore 64. When I was going to buy a disk drive for it I
was convinced by friends to buy the 2031 IEEE disk drive (i.e. 'why 
would you want a serial disk drive?'). I hooked it up to my 64 using
the BusCard II interface by Batteries Included. It is faster than the
1541 (but not that much faster - most 1541 fastloaders can probably 
run faster).

I would like to know the main differences between the 2031 and the
1541 (my drive has a case exactly like the 1541). I know that the
disk formats are slightlty different - they are read but not write-
compatible.

My biggest problem is that a lot of software copy protection will
cause the drive to crash during loading. Only very simple protection
scchemes will work with the 2031. Does anyone out there have a good
enough knowledge of software protection to recommend what companies'
software will probably work on this drive? Fortunately the store
where I buy most of my software will let me exchange the program if it
crashes on my drive. Game software seems to have the most trouble
(example: all Electronics Arts programs will not work) but even
the QuantumLink disk will not load.

I would appreciate any help.

Gordon Chow
Dept. of Metallurgy and Materials Science
University of Toronto
Toronto, Canada
chowg@toronto.edu