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Re: 800k disks possible at all?



Stuart Friedman wrote:
> 
> >Central Point used to sell their Copy II Option Board for the PC which
> >did this on a standard PC drive, but I believe it was
> >withdrawn because it also allowed copy-protected software to be
> copied.
> >
> Central Point used to market the option board first and foremost as a
> tool to copy copy-protected disks.  I doubt that this was the reason
> that it was discontinued.  I suspect that they stopped making it
> because they weren't selling enough copies, particularly when the
> business software programs stopped using copy protection schemes.
> 
> Stu

I think they discontinued it because as systems became faster (this board 
was originally designed for XT-Class PCs), this board became more and 
more problematic.

My board was VERY unstable on an ACER 1100/20 386 based system, but 100% 
on my old Turbo-XT & 286 12mhz systems.

Also, the driver software needed to be updated everytime Microsoft 
updated DOS.

My feeling is that at the time Central Point was making more money with 
PC-Tools and Central Point Backup and directed their efforts in that 
direction.

There is also a product called MatchPoint that reads (from a real 800k 
Mac Drive) Mac 800k diskettes on an IBM. MicroSolutions (the people who 
make the BackPack brand of External CD-ROM/Hard Drive/Floppy drives made 
it.). I don't know if it's still available.

A cheap Mac Plus or SE and a Mac to PC Transfer program may be the 
simplest, cheapest option these days... (A Mac Plus can be had for $99.00 
or less..)

- Al Hartman, Computer Expressions -

- Al -


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