[Color Computer] Re: [Coco] 3.5" floppies

[Roger Merchberger]

Rumor has it that James Diffendaffer may have mentioned these words:
> >Can Atari or Apple II 3.5" floppy drives be made to work (without too
> >much hastle) with Coco?
> >Thanks.
> >
> >/Chester
>
>Apple drives are non-standard.  They vary the speed so that 880K will
>fit on them.

Sometimes "unique design" sucks... ;-)

>I can't remember if the Atari ST drives used a serial or parallel
>connection.

Atari drives (for the most part) are bog-standard 720K drives; the low 
level format is the same as the PC. The high-level format is even FAT(ish) 
- there's a *very few* small differences in the format; but if you format a 
floppy on the Atari, it can usually be read no problem on a PC. However, 
IIRC, the Atari's a little more picky and may not read a floppy formatted 
on a PC.  Simple solution: format all your floppies on the Atari first, 
then you should be able to sneaker-net info pretty easily.

Internal floppy drives used a standard parallel ribbon cable; but the 
external drives did look as if they're a bastardized serial; however, I've 
never had an ST that didn't have an internal drive, so I've never used an 
external unit.

HTH,
Roger "Merch" Merchberger

--
Roger "Merch" Merchberger  --  SysAdmin, Iceberg Computers
  _±±_                          zmerch at 30below.com
(©||®)  If at first you don't succeed, nuclear warhead
  _)(_   disarmament should *not* be your first career choice.