[Coco] Which do you prefer and why? CoCo 1/2/3

[Bruce W. Calkins]

On 04/26/2017 11:13 AM, Michael Christopher Robinson wrote:
> Can the coco 3 use a 3.5" high density floppy drive?
> How about a 5.25" high density floppy drive?
>
> Low density floppy disk drives, at least on E-Bay, are very expensive.
>
> Even the multi pak interface is very expensive.
>
> It would be cheaper to get a multi-pak if someone would produce a
> modern one.  Nonetheless, I'm trying to get a COCO 3 compatible
> one.
>
> Some programs, like Gauntlet II, don't seem to work with Drivewire.
> Gauntlet II was one of my favorites.
>

I use 3 1.44M 3.5" drives with 720k media without any problems on one 
CoCo 3.  1.44M drives revert to 720k specification if there is no 1.44m 
enabling hole.  Covering the hole on 1.44M media results in unreliable 
media because the magnetic material is different.

The only CoCo useful specification for 5.25" drives is the double 
density, Single sided 160k 180k, or double sided 320k, and 360k. The 
transfer and rotational speeds for other drives is incompatible with the 
normal CoCo disk controller.

In all instances, formating disks at more than the 35 track 160k Desk 
Extended Basic format is problematic as any use by unmodified DEB 
rewrites the Granule Allocation Table marking the disk as a 160k disk.  
OS-9 and NitrOS9 however thrive on larger disks.

Bruce W.