Modern floppy disk question...

[Teo Zenios]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Leonard" <trixter at oldskool.org>
To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
<cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2005 12:53 PM
Subject: Re: Modern floppy disk question...


> Vintage Computer Festival wrote:
> > That's a really good question.  I'd like an answer myself.  I routinely
> > read disks that are 20-25-30 years old with few problems, yet I can't
walk
> > 10 feet to another computer and recover a file I just copied onto a
modern
> > 3.5" disk without the disk going bad.  Go figure.
>
> Two words:  Track density.  Old 5.25" disks spread (in the case of IBM
PC-land)
> 180KB per side of 5.25" surface area... later disks crammed four times as
much
> in roughly half the surface area.  I have had exactly one 5.25" disk go
bad in
> storage in the last 25 years, but my 3.5" disks haven't been as lucky.
>
> > Once you do find one, hang on to it.  They're becoming as precious as
> > gold.
>
> ebay auctions are good for lots of 100 or more 3.5" disks for $15 or so...
> they're old disks, so the quality is probably better, and you can format
them
> all and ditch the ones that have errors.  Works for me.
> -- 
> Jim Leonard (trixter at oldskool.org)
http://www.oldskool.org/
> Want to help an ambitious games project?
http://www.mobygames.com/
> Or check out some trippy MindCandy at
http://www.mindcandydvd.com/

ebay currently has a seller selling Mac formatted 1.44 disks for $6.99 BIN
and $5 shipping for 250PCs

look for quasiman Item number 5191185070