Date   : Thu, 23 Aug 2001 12:24:08 +0100
From   : "Fewell, Steve" <Steve.Fewell@...>
Subject: INF and UEF formats

Firstly, I'd like to say that I welcome both INF and UEF formats, and hope
that they both stay around. Both have different uses, and I would welcome
any emulator which is able to handle as many formats as possible.

INF is great if you don't want wasted disk space, and enables you the
freedom to just download the programs that you want. Having direct access to
the unprotected versions of games is also a useful ability.

UEF seems perfect for preservation. If this file format really can be fed
directly into a PC (via a tape drive), or can store exact Tape and Disk
images on a PC file system they I can see it being very useful, and an
accurate means for preserving the BBC or Electron's filing system. I like
the idea on an emulator being able to run the DFS ROM exactly as it was on
the BBC, and the low-level disk access routines being provided by the
emulator code, instead of the emulator needing to provide it's own DFS ROM
code.

UEF may have just come at the right point for preserving protected disk
images. As the original disks are probably deteriorating, it's good to be
able to preserve a copy of the original image, and the protection itself -
before the original disks die, and the BBC/Electron community looses the
original file systems forever.

That's it for my thoughts.
Steve.