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From: waltervj@dartvax.UUCP (walter jeffries)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Using single-sided disks double-sided.
Message-ID: <6466@dartvax.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 14-Jun-87 22:32:47 EDT
Article-I.D.: dartvax.6466
Posted: Sun Jun 14 22:32:47 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 21-Jun-87 06:02:23 EDT
References: <5352@ut-ngp.UUCP> <1029@zog.cs.cmu.edu> <9766@duke.cs.duke.edu>
Reply-To: waltervj@dartvax.UUCP (walter jeffries)
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Lines: 40



---

A little statistics...            (from my own experiments)

Technique:  I initialize disks three times as they are tested during
    initialization this seems a reasonable trial.  Those that fail any
    pass are eliminated and the testing continues with the remaining disks.

    I have been using this technique for over a year now and on over four
    hundred diskettes.  I buy almost exclusively Sony but I have also done
    this test on BASF Double Sided(!) diskettes at work (I didn't even trust
    the double sided ones to work as double sided...)



Results:
    Sony's:
       Sample size:  367 used single sided diskettes initialized as double sided
              (mix of blue and beige colored diskettes some old, some ~new.)
       Pass 1 -> 17 failures   -> 5%
       Pass 2 ->  5 failures   -> 1%
       Pass 3 ->  0 failures   -> 0%
                          Total = 6% fail when ss used as ds
       Long term (~1 year) three diskette failed later.  Causes may have been
       anything so it may or may not be significant.

    BASF's:
       Sample size:  50 fresh double sided diskettes initialized as double sided
       Pass 1 -> 5 failures   -> 10%
       Pass 2 -> 4 failures   ->  8%
       Pass 3 -> 0 failures   ->  0%
                         Total = 18% fail when ds used as ss
       "Long" term 1 week zero diskette failed later.  The reason I did this
       with the ds BASF's was that my experience with ss BASF's was horrible.
       A 18% failure rate for what they're supposed to be used for is pretty
       bad.  That's why I stick to Sony unless forced to use others as I am
       at work.
                        -Walter Vose Jeffries, waltervj@dartvax (in real life).