🚀 go-pugleaf

....{from RStallworthy%PCO@BCO-Multics}

RE: Non-IBM 3.5" 1.44 mb Diskette Drives

I have recently acquired from PC-Limited a 3.5" 1.44mb diskette drive 
(apparently made by Sanyo).  However, the unit checks for a hole at a certain 
location on the dikette (near lower right corner) and if the hole is not found 
then the drive will not read, write or format in high density (1.44mb) mode. I 
was told by PC-Limited that this is standard. On a PS2 model 80, there is no 
check for this hole, and it is possible to format and write on diskettes 
without this hole.  Although the diskettes without the hole are almost four 
times cheaper, I have a friend who has formatted many of these diskettes on 
his PS2 model 80 all at 1.44mb and all with no bad tracks, and has encountered 
no problems using these diskettes. 

Aside from the fact that this looks like a major rip-off my drive appears to 
be seriously non-IBM-compatible, since I will not be able to read any diskette
written on an IBM PS2 (without the hole -- who is going to pay four times the 
cost to have a hole when they don't need one).  I am surprised that I have not 
heard of this before. Has no one else made this observation?