----- Original Message ----
> From: Gregg Eshelman <[email protected]>
> To: [email protected]
> Sent: Tue, February 8, 2011 6:32:58 AM
> Subject: Re: What is a Mac formated Komag 128 Rewritable disk?
>
> --- On Mon, 2/7/11, glen <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > I have received a request to transfer data from a Komag 128 MB
> > rewritable disk to a CD.
> >
> > After a Google search I found little info but suspect the
> > disk falls into the magneto-optical category. What drive is required to
> > do read this disk?
> >
> > Here is a description from the requester:
> > "I do know that they were used on a Mac system [predates 1997]. They're
> > almost exactly the size of two stacked 3.5 floppy diskettes,
> > with the write protect notch in the same position. There are two of them >
>labelled "Komag 128 MB rewritable."
> >
> > Any info appreciated, thanks -- glen
>
> You need a 3.5" Magneto Optical drive. Mostly they're SCSI so you need a
>Macintosh with SCSI to connect it to. Given that the disks are circa 1997
>you'll want OS 8.1 or 9.x.x on that Mac.
>
> Forget eBay for getting a drive. Since Fujitsu quit the MO market, sellers
>have been starting MO drives on there at stupid high prices, but disks can
>still be picked up cheap. A 640 meg drive would be a good one to get,
>especially with LIMDOW (Light Intensity Modulation Direct OverWrite), so you
>can
>use it to read and write any 3.5" MO disk 640 meg or smaller. (LIMDOW makes
>writes 2x faster, but only on LIMDOW capable disks.)
>
> I just searched eBay, looks like all the drives on there are the higher
>capacity 1+ gig types. I dunno about the compatibility of those with lower
>capacity disks, looks like most of the ones on there are 5.25"
>
> The disks can also be read with a PC running a Mac emulator like Basilisk II
>or Sheep Shaver, also with a SCSI card like an Adaptec 2940. Those cards are
>cheaper than dirt on eBay, even the ones with Mac compatible BIOS.
>
> Most of the smaller capacity MO drives use narrow, Single Ended SCSI so
> you'd
>want a SCSI card with the 50 pin connector. Don't get a differential or LVD
>(Low Voltage Differential) SCSI card for this. Those are mainly for use with
>SCSI drives that have the SCA80 connector.
>
> I have a couple of MO drives, a 320 meg and a 640 meg, but I'm not ready to
>part with them. Still got a bunch of old Mac stuff to get off some disks,
>same
>story with a stack of Zip 100 disks I keep not getting around to doing same
>with.
>
> If my 128 meg MO drive hadn't up and died I'd give it to you for the
> shipping
>cost. (I got > the 640 meg when the 128 meg quit.)
Thanks for the information. I have plenty of old Macs either with native SCSI
or
a SCSI card installed. I just need to purchase a MO drive (provided the data on
the disks is of value that warrants that hassle and expense). --glen
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