On Sat, Jan 23, 2016, Jim Brain wrote:
> On 1/23/2016 7:15 PM, drlegendre . wrote:
> >" I am saying don't make a permanent hardware change to a 1541 that
> >does not have the switches unless you really want it to be permanent
> >because there is a software method of assigning drives that is good enough
> >most of the time. BUT if you must make it permanent and you don't have the
> >external switches, consider adding some form of external switch so you
> >don't ever have to open the case again to put it back to the default."
> >
> >Well then, we're having a major agreement. ;-)
> >
> >The device ID switch is the ultimate fix for Commodore drives, and I'm
> >really not sure why CBM didn't incorporate one into the design - at least
> >from the 1540 on upwards. Can't have cost much to add a discretely located
> >access hole (or a knock-out) in the case, along with a 2-place DIP switch
> >for controlling device ID.
> But, they did. The 1541-II, 71, and the 81 have switches.
>
> I would disagree on your point that Commodore should have made it part of
> the design...
>
> Let's travel back in time.
>
> After the PET intro, Peddle designs a drive, a beast of a device, with 2
> CPUs and it costs a fortune. Peddle is convinced a smart drive is best, and
> the delay allows other manufactures to create "dumb" drive options (saw one
> at World of Commodore, forgot the name).
How did these dumb drives interface with the computer at a software
level? I'd think a DOS would need to be loaded somehow.
--
Eric Christopherson
