8" floppy system needed to recover old game data

[Scott Stevens]

On Fri, 7 Oct 2005 06:56:49 +0200
"Nico de Jong" <nico at FARUMDATA.DK> wrote:

> Fra: "Chuck Guzis" <cclist at sydex.com>
> >
> > That said, give me 8" diskettes any day over 5.25" and 3.5" when it
> > comes to
> reliability.    I've got diskettes from 1976 that read as well as when
> they were new.  I have 3.5" DSHD diskettes that won't read right a
> month after purchase.
> >
> 
> I couldnt have said that better
> 
> Nico
> 
> 
Think about the density of the data on the diskettes (this is not a
comment meant as a defense for the poor quality of magnetic media, just
part of the discussion) A 1.44M floppy diskette puts a lot more data in
a smaller area.  The highest density 8" media I ever had was DSDD, or
720K on the big 8" surface.  That's a LOT larger disk and hence a much
lower density. 

Plus, the world of computers today has a lot more room for
junk/commodity media.  Anybody using floppy diskettes in 1976 had
serious heavy-duty reasons for doing so.  And those diskettes were
EXPENSIVE.  The disks you can get now at the Walgreens or a grocery
store aren't the same.  Further, there's no market for a high quality
diskette, because 'high quality' customers have moved on to newer
mediums.

I got handed a new shrinkwrapped box of 8" diskettes recently at work. 
Finally everybody there is getting to know I am the person to hand stuff
to.  I'm soon to get a nice desktop HP pen plotter, too.