[Coco] Disk drive questions?

[ostro011]

On 3 Dec 2003, Ray Watts wrote:
> 
> 
> Gene Heskett wrote:
> 
> >  
> >
> >>>>
> >>>>        
> >>>>
> >>>Does this easy setup work through BASIC as well as OS9,
> >>>or is your system
> >>>OS9 only.  If a person has a set of two double-sided
> >>>5.25" drives now, can
> >>>one set be replaced with 3.5" drives and still work in
> >>>BASIC?
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>I should have clarified that I am running with Basic and
> >>not OS-9.   Is this an issue?
> >>
> >>Jim
> >>    
> >>
> >
> >It can be, because the disk format is carved in the eprom data, 
> >whereas with os9 the descriptor can be played with, gaining access to 
> >the other side of the disk etc.
> >
> >  
> >
> Gene,   Either I didn't understand the question, or I don't understand 
> your reply.  DS/DD 5.25" drives and DS/DD 3.5" drives look identical to 
> the CoCo and can be mixed and matched.  Under the DECB ROM, they will 
> all look exactly the same and, under OS9, they will become whatever 
> descriptor you give each one - in a range of 160k to 720k.  Am I looking 
> at something cross-eyed?   
> 

Ray, thanks for being so patient.  I am a "software" oriented guy but a
hardware imbicile.  (Mark Marlett has had to come to my rescue multiple
times for hardware issues.)  I guess what is driving this exchange, at
least for me, is the desire to move data between a Coco and a PC.  Most new
PCs now do not have 5.25" drives and I don't think they support that
format, and most standard Coco systems only have 5.25" drives.  Putting a
3.5" drive on a Coco would help bridge this gap.

I think you are saying that without any special software, I can unplug one
of my 5.25" drives on the Coco and replug in a 3.5" drive (720K or 1.4M ?)
and still be able to store the same information from either OS9 or BASIC. 
The Coco doesn't care.  I can BACKUP 0 TO 1 if I want and the Coco will
make the copy.

Assuming this is correct, I now have Coco data on a 3.5" diskette which
should be able to be ported into a modern PC using its 3.5" HD drive.

-- Steve --