Date   : Tue, 22 May 1990 03:14:59 GMT
From   : sci34hub!cdthq!gary@uunet.uu.net (gary)
Subject: floppy drive hardware

tilmann@cosmo.UUCP (Tilmann Reh) writes:

> But, as I mentioned in my last message, WHO DID EVER FORBID SECTOR SIZES
> OTHER THAN 512 BYTE ???? Using 1k Sectors you get greater capacities, less
> gap loss and a speed factor of TWO within sequential access. Why, I really
> ask WHY DOES NOONE KNOW ABOUT THAT? Have a look at the Osborne's!

Nobody forbids that, and many 8" DD formats used 1K sectors. The problem
is memory space for buffers. Most CP/M machines were squeezing hard to
get things to fit and leave room for some applications programs, too.
Doubling all the disc buffers would have been prohibitively expensive
in terms of a scarce resource.

BTW, the original floppy formats used 256 byte sectors, as I recall...

Gary Heston, at home.....