What are MFM and RLL drives and which should I get?

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Article #36136

#36136

From: 23050000
Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1989 03:29

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I've seen talk recently about formatting MFM drives using RLL neither of which
I've ever heard of. I take it that they are some sort of hard disk formatting
techniques or types of hard disks.

Recently, I've decided that it's just too difficult to operate my 1040 via
floppies - I can play games, but I can hardly run a shell and a compiler with
tools.

I have never owned a hard disk before. Does it make any difference which kind
of hard disk I buy? Can I get a controller and cables for anything I get?
I take it that I also need a controller, some sort of power supply (which I 
guess I can figure out from the specs on the drive mechanism), and some
cables. I thought I heard something about an adaptor? Do most controllers 
support the MFM and RLL types?

I'll probably buy a drive mechanism first so I guess I should make sure I buy
the right one first.

Price is definitely a consideration - I'm on a college student budget! Any
help is greatly appreciated.

Thanx

Mark Frost
	Office of the the Computing Coordinator
	Humanities Division
	University of California at Santa Cruz
Internet: humtech@ucschu.UCSC.EDU
Bitnet: humtech@ucschu.bitnet

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Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ames!pasteur!agate!saturn!ucschu.ucsc.edu!humtech
From: humtech@ucscc.UCSC.EDU (23050000)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: What are MFM and RLL drives and which should I get?
Message-ID: <6102@saturn.ucsc.edu>
Date: 25 Jan 89 03:29:42 GMT
Sender: usenet@saturn.ucsc.edu
Reply-To: humtech@ucschu.ucsc.edu (Mark Frost)
Organization: University of California, Santa Cruz; Humanities Division
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