The apparently (not) so OBVIOUS Poll

[Omega-TI]

If I was going to spend my money on a storage device, and had only two options...

 

A) << THIS SITE >> $112.00 (excluding shipping) for a device capable of 720K or more.

 

 

 

B) << THIS AUCTION >> $134.99 (excluding shipping) for a 90K SSSD 5 1/4 Floppy

 

Which would it be?

[budz2355]

Part of the reason for me liking the TI is the fact that it is a retro part of my childhood. For my money if I could find a period item with 720k that would be great, but I try to keep modern parts as far away from my machine as possible.

 

I struggled even with the question of wether or not I wanted to upgrade my video chip, but since it isn't soldered in and I can always remove it... I went for it.

 

I guess what I am trying to say is that at some point you might as well emulate. Part of what makes the TI fun for me is that it is old and clunky and has these awesome huge floppy disks from my childhood. If I wanted whiz bang graphics and modern processor speeds I could use my regular pc or ps4.

 

Hopefully that isn't too preachy....

[Omega-TI]

Hopefully that isn't too preachy....

 

Not at all!

I was trying to be funny... I guess I missed the mark.

The nice thing about the TI in the retro computer hobby is that there are so many different roads one can choose to travel, and that's just with the P-Box!

[+Schmitzi]

I also have an oldtimer, but the (hidden) soundsystem is new and has about 1500 watts

[+Schmitzi]

But on the HxC, I prefer this optic here, is a bit more rough old school:

 

 

 

 

[Omega-TI]

But on the HxC, I prefer this optic here, is a bit more rough old school:

 

Yeah, I almost bought that version, I kind of wish I had. I'm locked in now though.

[+OLD CS1]

Good God, my original TI 5.25" only sold for $25...

[Omega-TI]

Good God, my original TI 5.25" only sold for $25...

 

I've got one in my backup box that will eventually go into the trash. It works, but probably needs lubrication. Anyway it's not worth the effort to find a buyer let alone to box up and ship. If I was going to install a full height disk drive, I'd get one from an old PC as they looked EXACTLY THE SAME, but will at least give you 180K as they are double sided.

[Gazoo]

But on the HxC, I prefer this optic here, is a bit more rough old school:

 

 

I have a question about the HxC. Can it be configured so that the SD card contains one and only one floppy image?

 

And I assume that image max size depends on the floppy controller connected to the TI?

 

I have 3 SCSI devices connected to both my TI and Geneve systems, it might be prudent to do away with one of then

and replace it with a HxC floppy drive. Maybe it would be easier to pass around an SD card 'floppy' instead of a Cf card 'hard drive' ?

 

Reasonable?

 

G.A.Z.O.O.

 

 

Thanks,

[Omega-TI]

Hi Gazoo,

 

Sure, if you want, you can put a single image on the drive. You can put as few or as many images on as you like. The maximum SD card size that the unit will take is 32GB, so that's a ton of potential floppy images on one SD card.

 

Yes, the max size does depend on the floppy controller. That is one reason I'm anxiously awaiting the Myarc Clone, because I'd like to have 720K disks instead of 360K. However you'll still be able to use smaller formats.

 

Another nice thing about the Lotharek HxC, if you would like it to emulate two drives it will. So you can use a single unit as DSK1 & DSK2. Provided you have a non-TI FDC that is capable of more than three drives, a second unit could be tasked as DSK3 & DSK4 as well.

 

The device gives the user a ton of flexibility and the beauty is that since it appears as a regular drive to the TI, you have 100% compatibility.

 

Hope this helps.

[Keatah]

Part of the reason for me liking the TI is the fact that it is a retro part of my childhood. For my money if I could find a period item with 720k that would be great, but I try to keep modern parts as far away from my machine as possible.

 

I guess what I am trying to say is that at some point you might as well emulate. Part of what makes the TI fun for me is that it is old and clunky and has these awesome huge floppy disks from my childhood. If I wanted whiz bang graphics and modern processor speeds I could use my regular pc or ps4.

 

I'm the same way with my Apple II stuff. I can use the superior performance of the CFFA3000 with modern flash memory to get disk images to and from the system. Or I can go old-school.

 

I strongly prefer old-school style ADTpro. ADTpro uses 100% standard serial hardware from back in the day. And its roots are period too. The Apple II does its fair share of work in preparing the data. And with the speed of the drives and transfers, it takes 20-30 seconds to get a disk made up.

 

If I want full speed I just use an emulator, for there is no Apple II hardware that can equal one running at unlocked speed.

Edited June 10, 2015 by Keatah

[+Schmitzi]

Hi Gazoo,

 

the big advantage will be that you will not have to power down your system to eject the SD-card from the HxC.

Just press the "Eject"-button on HxC´s menu (kind of logically disk-eject - like if you open an old floppydrive) an pull the SD.

I don´t know, but I think if you want to take you CF from SCSI/Harddrive, you first have to power down your TI/Geneve.

This is absolutely not needed here, as this is just an (emulated) floppydisk.

 

And if you go with the SD to another TI/Geneve, just plug it in (while system running). It is fully Hot-Swap, like a floppydisk/drive

And if you go with the SD to your PC, you just see a FAT32-devicedrive, where (all) the floppies are stored as .HFE-files

(what, in addition) is a very common format. And really NO installation is needed on the PC-side, too.

You only need a SD-card-reader. And with the HxC-drive comes a very impressive, very easy to handle conversion-tool,

which does not technically depend on the HxC (as no driver for your SD-card is needed on the PC-side, too)

With this tool you can convert and mass-convert many formats from and to .HFE, very easy, very comfortable.

Download and test it, it is independend froom the drive

And with this tool, you can also convert many other common given well-known formats, to each other, via the given HFE.format.

 

And you can organize you .HFE´s via the PC in nice & stringent subfolders on the SD, with good names.

In the HXc, you will find the names back, while choosing and mounting a HFE as floppydisk.

So, for expample, I have one subfolder every time on my SD with a mass of empty (HFE-)disk,

well named and numerated for easy handling if I am mass-copying real disks to DSKs (see attachment here)

Just hold the names somehow short, to get a cool display on the HxC.

(see attachment with empty&ready HFE´s, for best organisation, also with empty DSKs for TI and nanoPEB)

 

Again: You can leave your whole system as it is. Just find a free 34pin-connector, and a slot in the PEB (or do it externally)

to connect the HxC. Please don´t see it as an change to your (CF/SCSI-adapted) harddisk, keep that because very nice,

just see it as a hotswap-hotplug floppy

 

At the moment I have to convert a mass of real floppydisks to .DSK-files. This is the most comfortable way.

I just "mount/insert" my Copy-Cat-Tool from the HxC, boot/start it from XB.

Once started, (and the Copy-Cat-virtual-Disk no more needed in the (HxC-)floppydrive,

I plug in the to be copied real floppy in one of my other real drives (DSK2-3.5" or DSK3-5.25"),

mount an empty .HFE-file on the HxC/DSK1 (in the needed format from the source-disk, means 90/180/360KB)

and just start the copy. This I do like on a conveyor Very comfortable.

And afterwars, just take out the SD from HxC, plug into PC, copy the .HFEs to local harddrive,

start the Windows-converting-tool from Lotharek and convert ALL .HFE´s with 2 klicks to proper .DSK-Files.

 

I guaranty: You will adore it

(If not, re-sell it to me, as I will take a 4th drive this year, I am sure

 

I hope I broke a barrier for you, with these words

I also hope, Mr. Google gave me the right translations/words in some cases

 

Ralf

 

/Adulation-Mode Off/

 

/EDIT for the file /

Edited June 10, 2015 by schmitzi

[+Schmitzi]

Amazing AA: Fiddling 20 minutes for uploading a file.....

 

thats enough, please just pick it here:

 

ftp://u67140205-atariage:TeXasTI994A@toxic-instruments.com/_PROGS.bak/003-TI99BlankDisks-002.zip

 

 

....and breaking links, so one more try:

 

ftp://u67140205-atariage:TeXasTI994A@toxic-instruments.com/_PROGS.bak/003-TI99BlankDisks-002.zip

Edited June 10, 2015 by schmitzi

[Mr.Amiga500]

I have nostalgia for vintage computers, but not really for vintage storage devices. I'll admit that I like to have at least one 5 1/4" floppy drive and a bunch of floppies for occasional remembrances, but to actually use my computers I want the fastest, most reliable media possible. To me, it doesn't matter how the data gets into the computer. What matters is that it's the original hardware using that data.

[Omega-TI]

I have nostalgia for vintage computers, but not really for vintage storage devices.

 

I feel the same way (personally), while I understand the hobby is different things to different people. It's like cars, some like stock, some like "Resto-Mods". Now "back in the day" when I was originally into the TI, most of the people I knew were always expanding their systems. People were getting the new drives, monitors, RAM disks, controller cards, heck it was all part of the enjoyment. Today I (again personally) see no difference in getting all the "new toys". In fact my quest is to get as many things to "hang off the system" as I can... although within some semblance of financial sanity. This is one reason I like the Lotharek HxC so much. The Lotharek saves a ton of money on huge quantities of diskettes, cleaning kits, storage boxes, etc. Since I also am limited with space, this thing is just awesome in my book.

[Mr.Amiga500]

I still like to keep the important things "stock". I don't mind increased RAM or CPU accelerator, but I'd never replace original graphics & sound or convert the computer to a tower with a modern keyboard.

 

It's just like with cars. I hate the chopped down modded look. I like it totally stock looking, but with more speed and various other better parts. My 1958 VW looks totally stock, but has a 1999 engine, dual carburetors, better brakes, etc.

[Omega-TI]

... but I'd never replace original graphics & sound or convert the computer to a tower with a modern keyboard.

 

You would probably hate my system then! I was forced to put mine into a tower arrangement due to space considerations, but I actually like it better that way. If that's not enough I'm guilty of going VGA, newer (smaller) monitor, and the modern keyboard route as well. Down the road I'd like to get a new floppy controller card and expanded RAM as well. A mouse is on my list too. What I will NEVER change is the original CPU as that is the computer in my mind. I'm also try to keep the externals as close to stock (as I can).

 

Basically the things I'm going for are just newer better revisions of things that were available back in the old days.

... now is someone comes up with something NEW?

[Mr.Amiga500]

Actually, I do like the look of that PEB set vertically with blinking lights. (who wouldn't like blinking lights?) My complaint was more against people who do something like take an Amiga 500 and put it in a horrible ugly beige tower, with a beige rubber dome keyboard.

 

I suppose your modern keyboard does match the TI, with black and metal colour scheme.

[Shift838]

I chose the 3rd option to be politically correct.

 

As I would have both. I see the advantages of the HxC with the ability to store multiple images on a SD Card. But I also like the old school floppies.

[PeBo]

Plan on buying an HxC and using it as a second (or first Floppy).

 

Would also like to mod my RS232 for HDX file serving (to me, a GREAT storage solution if you have a spare PC to use as your TI file server)

But I would NEVER get rid of my 5.25" Floppy drive.

 

There's just a warm and fuzzy feeling of nostalgia that is provided with every whir, clack, grind, grunt and knock that no other storage medium can provide (not even 3.5" drive has quite the same wonderful late 70's / early 80's sound).

 

From my perspective it is a required part of vintage computing. All the other fancy gizmos are just nice because we've been spoiled by space and speed over the past couple of decades!

 

There will always be a place for in my heart (and my PEB) for a "obsolete tank of a drive that is hard to get diskettes for".

[+Schmitzi]

My "vintage"-solution here is, that I have one PEB, brand new old stock (from Zach),

with originally brand new parts inside, like a new 90K-TI-floppy a.s.o.

 

But I don´t use it every day

[TI-GAMER]

I guess I am a little bit of a "Purist" with both my vintage computers and cars (but only to a point)

 

I like having the Classic Look and feel of them both.

I will definitely modify them (Bigger Engine, Performance Trans and Custom Wheels in a car) (More memory, dual floppies, custom cards such as CorComp, HDX and etc in the TI) but not something which is permanent mod where I cannot take it back to Factory Original.

 

I think we all have our personal preferences but having that Vintage Feel and look while being able to play with NEW Toys and Mods are what keeps a lot of us coming back.

[+Schmitzi]

yep. what would be a permanent mod ? drilling holes into the PEB ?

[Omega-TI]

what would be a permanent mod ? drilling holes into the PEB ?

 

AND

 

[+Schmitzi]

...my PEB is waterproof. There is NO water coming out