Best 1050 Upgrade

[+Larry]

What was/is your favorite? And please add WHY you chose the one you did.  Also, please add your home country, so that we can see the regional availability and cost as a possible factor in the choices.

[+Larry]

(USA, and I'm a "Floppy Junkie!") For me, Happy!  I had already used an 810 Happy, and also used the 810 Happy/Archiver software for "reluctant" titles.  Always was a fan of the track buffers! And for my money, Happy offered the greatest flexability.  My issue with the Super Archiver is that the different skew was required to use UltraSpeed. So that means that all my old disks would need to be reformatted.  Not appealing with hundreds of disks!  And once again, the Archiver conversion came to the rescue with the 1050 Happy/Archiver software which could then have the Super Archiver loaded.  My only regret about the 1050 Happy is that the Customizer was never released for the 1050.  Although I don't use floppies much anymore (mostly APE for me!), a 1050 Happy with the Controller is still my absolute favorite drive!

[TGB1718]

I used my 8 bit mainly for writing software, USD was quick and did all I wanted, I did try a friends

810 Happy, but never really got on with it

[bbking67]

I was an Indus GT user, but after I got a 1050 with a US Doubler clone I found this to be a more useful and compatible drive.  Personally I never needed a drive to copy protected software.  I know the track buffering mode is also a bonus with more sophisticated solutions, but my vote is the US Doubler--it's a must have.  Cost effective and compatible with very little downside (is there a downside?).  Generally a simple install as well.

 

 

[_The Doctor__]

MegaSpeedy and BitWriter... You can't have just one!

Therefore I can not vote...

They need to have a baby and name it MegaBittySpeedy 1050 !!!!

 

heh silly time follows

      SuperMegaBittySpeedy1050 !!!

       oh wait they doing ultra these days... UltraMagaBittySpeedy 1050....   just to be trendy....

Edited May 11, 2022 by _The Doctor__

[ndary]

Mega speedy 

 

[adam242]

I adore the Mini Super Speedy 1050. Double density, massive speed increase and a nifty high-speed copy mode, all at a very reasonable price and very easy installation.

[macsonny]

Hands down the Mega Speedy enhancement. Allows you to select from ALL of the drive upgrades in a single unit although I do tend to default to the Happy 1050 configuration when using Mega Speedy ?

[_The Doctor__]

1 hour ago, macsonny said:

Hands down the Mega Speedy enhancement. Allows you to select from ALL of the drive upgrades in a single unit although I do tend to default to the Happy 1050 configuration when using Mega Speedy ?

it does all but the bitwriter, Mega Speedy doesn't do that as it's very involved, hence my statement above

Edited May 12, 2022 by _The Doctor__

[Panther]

From what I've read, Bit-Writer only adds the ability to copy some Electronic Arts and Synapse titles that the Super Archiver by itself could not.  Is there something else it has to add?

[+bf2k+]

My experience is only with Happy and USD, so of those two, I choose Happy.

[+Larry]

Mega Speedy is a great development, and I've got one, but the only setting that I used was... Happy.  After using it awhile I went back to the regular Happy + Controller.

[Mclaneinc]

I have a Happy (Atarimax) and an 810 Archiver / Chip and used to have a Happy clone (Lazer) but I'd love to have a Mega Speedy just to have 99% of the available mods in one drive.. The bit writer sounds fun, but apart from what Doc said, I have no clue about it..

 

My fave, Happy 1050 but if I ever get a Mega Speedy then that will be my fave..

 

Just read up on the Bit Writer, nice but overkill for me..

Edited May 12, 2022 by Mclaneinc

[archeocomp]

I am probably weird, but for me the best upgrade is stock firmware:-) and 130XE RAM disk. I have several 1050s but refused to upgrade any of them so far. I like it slow:-) So no vote.

[Gavin1968]

Here are some great TF_HH options here in the states. 

Mini-Speedy 1050

Mini-Super Speedy 1050

Turbo 1050 Replica