Date   : Thu, 08 Jan 2004 22:42:39 +0000 (GMT)
From   : Sprow <info@...>
Subject: Re: IDE Interface for BBC

In article <w6Gf62AO2c$$Ew5u@...>,
   Mike Tomlinson <mike@...> wrote:
> >    Is it best to have an acorn format or a PC or NTFS based one to 
> >    allow easy transfer and preping of the drive.
>
> I'd prefer to stick with Acorn format and make it as compatible as
> possible with the Acorn Winchesters and ADFS.  It can then be prepped
> with SuperForm.  Using a PC format would require a new FS ROM to be
> written,

Done.
http://www.sprow.co.uk/bbc/dosfs.htm

> and assuming it fitted into 16k, might attract the attention of
> Microsoft's landsharks.  After all, if they're now demanding money for
> licensing the FAT filesystem...

Not quite true, the patent refers to the method of storing long filenames in
a backward compatible way. FAT itself (rather, the method of using a linked
list bitmap to describe where a file is scattered) wasn't the first of its
kind.

Also, at 50c, I wouldn't think Microsoft will chase us for about 100 DOSFS
users!

In article <blah>
 Chris Thornley <C.J.Thornley@...> wrote:

> Page size has always been a problem wish say my BBC B the shift form E00
> to 1900 for DFS cause people to try to use allsorts or tricks to get
> tape games to run. Few people used ADFS in the earlier days especially
> in schools and it only really took of for Archimedes.

Excellent point. It would be *definitely* worthwhile popping 8k of SRAM on
the IDE interface?
Sprow.