On Sun, Sep 10, 2023, 4:12 PM Will Cooke via cctalk <cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:
> > > > On 09/10/2023 3:00 PM CDT Fred Cisin via cctalk <cctalk@classiccmp.org> > wrote: > > > > > > On Sun, 10 Sep 2023, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote: > > > Now, let's talk about 2.8" and 3.25" drives; UK readers are certainly > > > familiar with 3.0 inch CF drives used on Amstrads. > > Amdek? sold a dual 3" drive in USA, marketed as external drives. > > There were ads for it in one or more of the Coco magazines. > > > > And there were ads for it as external drives for Apple2! > > Q: were those different electronics? OR did they include an FDC for > > Apple2? > > > > > > 3.25: > > The three leading contenders for "Shirt pocket disks" were 3", 3.25", and > > 3.5". There were many others, such as a 3.9" that IBM was rumored to be > > planning. > > But, for shirt pocket puspose, 3" seems the most promising. > > There was extensive argument in the trade journals. > > George Morrow said, "Why don't we get the clothing industry to make > > shirt pockets 5.25 inch?" > > > > Dysan did not want such an extreme retooling, so they were pushing the > > 3.25", which was basicaally a smaller 5.25", with a metal hub. They > > reasoned that whichever size had the most software would end up being the > > winner. So, Dysan set up an enormous software publishing venture. Before > > there were any machines using 3.25", you could purchase most of the major > > software packages on 3.25" disks! I ended up with a few drives and disks > > from Micropro. > > > > But, then HP and Apple both went with 3.5". > > When IBM went with 3.5" (PS/2, PC-DOS 3.20), the coffin was nailed shut. > > Seequa Chameleon 325 seems to have been the only machine that made it to > > market with 3.25" drives. > > > > Dysan had invested so much into their software publishing venture to > > promote 3.25" that, when 3.25" died, they couldn't ever recover. R.I.P. > > > > > > -- > > Grumpy Ol' Fred ci...@xenosoft.com > > > I make an official motion that Fred write his own "Everything I Know About > Floppy Disks" page / book /encyclopedia. > > I suspect that what is inside his head is the greatest collection of > knowledge about floppies on the planet. > > Fred, you will be paid with great admiration and appreciation. Sorry, all > I can offer. :-) > > Anyone with me? > I am. I thought I was hot shit with what I knew about floppies. And for the tiny sliver I needed for my Rainbow hacking, I kinda sorta knew enough. This thread and all the others shows I know next to nothing. Warner > Will > > > If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and > don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the > endless immensity of the sea. > > Antoine de Saint-Exupery >
