🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <437@moncol.UUCP> john@moncol.UUCP (John Ruschmeyer) writes:
>Recently I've been looking at ads for programs to read/write alien disks on
>an IBM compatable. One thing I've noticed, though, is that none of them
>support the formatting of single density disks (old Osborne I, TRS-80 Model
>I, etc.).
> 
>Forgive a naive question, but why is this the case? Is there some
>limitation of the disk controller in an IBM-PC which prevents single
>density operation or is it some limitation of the BIOS?
> 
>Looking in the tech manual for my own machine (a Tandy 1000), I noticed
>that it uses an Intel 8272A as the floppy disk controller. According to the
>spec sheet, this chip is capable of single density operation. If so, then
>why can't I find a program to use it that way?
> 
Single density disk controllers write the data to the diskette at 250K bit/
sec.  Double density controllers do so at 500K.  The IBM controller has only
the 500K clock on board - it would take a hardware change to allow it to
do 250K. Not impossible, just impossible with the standard controller.



-- 
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                 "... if the church put in half the time on covetousness
Mike Farren      that it does on lust, this would be a better world ..."
hoptoad!farren       Garrison Keillor, "Lake Wobegon Days"