That should presumably do just fine. It is PROBABLY the MFM Double Density format for the Osborne 1. But, more likely than not, that is probably what they have. The early FM Single Density wasn't around for long.

'course next step is for him to find a working machine with a 5.25" drive!
(preferably "360K")


On Wed, 26 May 2021, Tom Hunter wrote:

Sorry - I misread the post thinking Zane wanted to get raw disk images.
For the actual CP/M contents you can use cpmtools:
http://www.moria.de/~michael/cpmtools/
Cpmtools has disk definitions for the Osborne 1 and Osborne Nuevo/Vixen/4
so it is rather painless.

Best regards
Tom Hunter

On Wed, May 26, 2021 at 12:38 AM Fred Cisin via cctalk <
[email protected]> wrote:

Imagedisk is great for making images.

BUT, the original request is not for images, it is for the previous
owned wanting access to be able to use the content of the FILES that are
in those images.


On Tue, 25 May 2021, Tom Hunter wrote:

Dunfield's ImageDisk reads and writes them just fine on most older PCs
with
a decent floppy controller.
As Chuck G writes "TestFDC" will tell you if the floppy controller is
usable for imaging.

Best regards
Tom Hunter

On Tue, May 25, 2021 at 2:26 AM Fred Cisin via cctalk <
[email protected]>
wrote:

There were two Osborne floppy formats.  Both CP/M.

IIRC, the original format was "Single Density" (FM), 10 sectors per
track,
with 256 bytes per sector (similar to the TRS80-Model-1.  That will
require FM/SD capability.  Most NEC FDCs did not support that.  Dave
Dunfield has a test program that will tell you whether your FDC can
handle
it.

Then, they switched to "Double Density" (MFM) IIRC: 5 sectors per track,
with 1024 bytes per sector.  Any PC FDC with access to INT13h and INT1Eh
will work with appropriate software.  (NOT external USB drives)


WITH appropriate software, a flux transition device, such as your
Catweasel, could do it.



On Mon, 24 May 2021, Zane Healy via cctalk wrote:

A photographer I know contacted me last night asking about reading
Osborne 1 floppies.  What does it take to read these?

The only Catweasel board I have is the old Zorro 2 board for the Amiga.
I do have 5.25??? floppy drives.  Neither of us have an Osborne anymore (I
think mine went to Jim Willing).

Zane

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