Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!brl-adm!umd5!mimsy!oddjob!mcb
From: mcb@oddjob.UChicago.EDU (He Who Passes Through Locked Doors)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Big Disks
Message-ID: <14268@oddjob.UChicago.EDU>
Date: 23 Jan 88 00:41:59 GMT
References: <4708@watdragon.waterloo.edu> <5267@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu>
Reply-To: mcb@oddjob.uchicago.edu.UUCP (He Who Passes Through Locked Doors)
Organization: U of Chicago- Legion of Dynamic Discord
Lines: 19
Summary: Yes- there were rumors

Yes, I've heard a number of rumors about 1.6 Meg 3.5" drives.  As you
probably know, the Mac uses double sided, double density disk drives yielding
.8M of storage.  The rumor was that new drives will be coming out which will
use quadruple density formatting for 1.6M.  This is credible because
	1) Some PC machines use quad density (I believe) to get about 1.2-1.4
	   Megs per disk.  Since the Mac uses variable drive speed to get
	   more storage on each disk, you would expect it to get a little more
	   than the PCs.
	2) The Integrated Woz Machine (the IC that controls the disk drives)
	   is socketed in the MacII (and maybe in the SE).  Apple doesn't
	   normally socket chips, so they likely plan on upgrading the IWM.
I wouldn't hold my breath, but I expect to see 1.6M drives eventually.
						-Matt

-- 
Matt Bamberger			"You think that because you understand _one_,
1005 E. 60th St., #346		 you understand _two_, because one and one
Chicago, IL 60637		 makes two.  But you must also understand
312-753-2261			 _and_."	-Sufi Master