Date   : Fri, 23 Nov 1990 01:12:22 GMT
From   : pasteur!dog.ee.lbl.gov!hellgate.utah.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!munnari.oz.au!comp.vuw.ac.nz!actrix!ewen@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Ewen McNeill)
Subject: Strange Kaypro problems

In article <9011211738.AA04958@icf.llnl.gov.llnl.gov> rzh@ICF.LLNL.GOV
(R. Hanscom) writes:
> In <1990Nov20.221811.7383@techbook.com>, fzsitvay@techbook.com (Frank
> Zsitvay) writes:
> >                                            is it normal for the
> > drive access led to stay lit even after the drive has been accessed??
> 
> I believe that this is normal behavior for a Kaypro.  At least mine
> does this.  It worried me at first because I have another machine that
> refuses to give me back the diskette when the led is on.  The Kaypro
> doesn't do this.  One can remove the diskette if the little light is
> off or on!
It is definately normal behaviour on my Amstrad (CPC6128) -- but
only the B drive. This has something to do with the minimal decoding
internally in the machine (I never bothered to trace it down in the
circuit diagram).
 
I would say that in most computers it is safe to remove the disk
when the little light is on, so long as you are _sure_ it is not being
accessed (and, obviously, that there are no open files on it --
especially for writing).  I usually listen to the motors (I have
5.25" drives) to tell when the disks are no longer needed (and of
course keeping an eye on the program that is working).

Of course, there are a few occasions when you want to remove the
disk while it is being accessed..... :-)  [Yet another comment about
computers which follow instructions too literally!]

-- 
Ewen McNeill.                          Email: ewen@actrix.gen.nz