[jerrysievert]

> They were incredibly noisy - the servos were banging away like mad, particularly if you were doing anything database-like, which I mostly was.

heck, even my 5.25" c64 drive was so noisy from knocking its head that I kept the cover unscrewed to realign it on a regular basis. especially after trying to use "copy protected" disks that causes even more knocking.

I was also confused when 3.5" floppies came out and were stiff, and people started talking more about "hard disks".

[zabzonk]

My Dad had a floppy on his C64 and it was terribly unreliable, but (once again) less unreliable than the cassette deck that I was stuck with. He loved gadgets, but really only used it to play "Hunchback" and similar games. I often thought "Shall I hit him over the head with a hammer and steal it, so I can create some truly brilliant software?", but I never did.

[b112]

I wonder about these posts citing c64 and Amiga floppy reliability issues.

Was around both for 10 to 15 years, in computer clubs, ran a punter bbs, worked repairing/selling amigas for years, reliability was awesome, unless one had the rare a bad drive.

Were you lot running 1541s, 71s? Were you living under power lines, beside a power station, and your mom loved fridge magnets? :P

[b112]

Hmm.

I wonder why the dichotomy. Where I was, it seems the inverse.

Data points re: 1541 reliability:

* all were early adopters, but moved to the Amiga within a year of A500 release. So there is an end-time bracket here.

* I had a VIC20, was an early C64 adopter, and most people I knew were too. So, a start time bracket.

* all drives were bought in Canada

I'm thinking, maybe source plant for drives, PLUS, maybe earlier bought drives were more robust/more expensively made. Fewer cost saving measures?

So hard to tell now. :/

[zabzonk]

My Mum detested fridge magnets for some not clear reasons. And no overhead power lines. There was a nearby power transformer though, which on one memorable day burst into flames.

But I remember Dad frequently complaining about reliability, and the drives keep on having to be taken down to a computer shop (back when such things existed) in down-town Lincoln (UK) to be fixed. The problems were entirely mechanical, not electronic.

[jerrysievert]

mine was a 1541, but most everyone I knew who had one had the same problems. my amiga floppy (and the external clone drive I bought) was super reliable.

[bcrl]

I found that 1.2MB 5.25" floppies were faster (they spun at 360 rpm vs the 300 rpm of 3.5" drives) and more reliable than 3.5" floppies in my experience. I had so many problems with 720KB (880KB on my Amiga) floppies, even with expensive media back then.