Date   : Fri, 28 Jul 1989 20:13:01 EDT
From   : John C Klensin <KLENSIN@INFOODS.MIT.EDU>
Subject: Epson PX-8 Disk conversions

Paul N Burgess wrote looking for a way to get disk conversions from the 
Epson PX-8 / PF-10 disk drive format.

The most recent version of MSDOS Media Master supports the PX-8's disk
format, if you can find an IBM PC clone with a 3 1/2 inch drive.  The
720 Kb models are fine; I don't recall any problems with the 1.4Mb ones,
but am not sure we have tried it.   For probably-obvious reasons, Media 
Master is pretty sensitive to having a 100% compatible controller out 
there, and does not get along with "installable" device drivers, such as 
would come with after-the-fact controllers, very well at all.  Most of 
our conversions have been done with a PS-2 Mod 30.

I don't have any idea whether the CP/M-based versions of MediaMaster now 
support the PX-8.  You would need a supported machine with DSDD 3 1/2
inch disk drives, which does not impress me as likely. 

For many purposes like this, we have adopted the alternate solution of 
finding another CP/M machine that can read appropriate disks, then 
running the data down a wire into the Epson using Xmodem, Kermit, or 
whatever.  Then one lets the Epson write its own disks.

You will find that Epson's designers were quite clever about that 
machine.  From reading the drawings, I suspect that they intended to 
permit pulling the 80C80 and replacing it with a 16-bit processor at 
some stage.  But other bits of cleverness like this make it incompatible 
with almost anything you can think of once one gets down to the hardware 
level.  I gather that this has been a generic problem with Epson
computers. 

MediaMaster comes from Intersecting Concepts.  Last address I have handy 
is 68 Long Court, Suite 1B, Long Beach, CA 91360.

No affiliation with companies or endorsement of products mentioned 
above, but we have found them to work.
   John Klensin   Klensin@INFOODS.MIT.EDU