From: bnc@portia.si.macsch.com (Brian Casey)
Subject: Re: MAC DISKS IN WINDOWS?
Organization: The MacNeal-Schwendler Corporation
Lines: 27

In article <1993May17.045558.14180@seas.gwu.edu> louray@seas.gwu.edu (Michael Panayiotakis) writes:
>In article <1t6efv$1pj@binkley.cs.mcgill.ca> gel@binkley.cs.mcgill.ca (Gilles KHOUZAM) writes:
>>>Macsee.zip on ftp.cica.indiana.edu is supposed to read and write Mac disks.  
>>>I've never tried it, though.  Good luck
>>
>>I just tried it, but I can't say that it works, 'cause it doesn't read 800K
>>disks, it only reads 1.44Mb. If there a program that does read 800K disks,
>>please let me know.
>
>
>Well, you can't say that it don't work.  The inability to read 800k mac
>disks is not a SW problem.  Rather, it's a HARDWARE limmitation on PCs. 
>
>I have seen a post about a program able to read non-1.44Mb Mac disks,
>which comes with a watchamacalit <ma memory's faling> card, which you
>just drop into a com port or something.  Don't remember specifics, tho.
>peace,
>Mickey

On all 1.44Mb drives (both Mac and PC), the disk spins at a constant
RPM.  On 800k Mac disk drives, the spin rate of the disk is varied so 
that the tracks pass under the head at a constant speed; a slower rotation
for the outer tracks, and a faster rotation for the inner tracks.  A PC
needs special controller hardware to make this happen.

Brian Casey
bnc@macsch.com
