There is only one notch on most double-sided disks because most later disk drives (e.g., PCs) had read/write heads for both the top and the bottom of the disk. Users never had to flip disks over, so the disks only needed one write-protect notch to protect both sides. Prerecorded disks like games or other commercial software usually came on disks without notches at all. Those disks were made using either special drives or ordinary drives with the notch detection disabled.
That's my understanding as well. I don't know about other micro computer manufacturers, but Woz from Apple basically scrapped the upper head and analog board of the early drives to save costs and made engineered a low cost analog board and interface card. That was how Apple was able to sell floppy drives with their systems much lower than the typical IBM compatible system. And because those drives only had the R/W head on the bottom, to be able to use the full capacity of a double density disk, notching the jacket to allowed the use of the other side. I wasn't aware until now that other micro computer systems of the day used single head drives, but it makes sense they adapted the idea as well.
Good day great video i am sending a message because i wanted to ask how i can make notch on my double sided mac flopy i have no notcher likr the one u showed what can i use to make a hole on the other side of the mac floppy what can u recommwnd i dont wanna use somethinbg that can damage the floppy marco
If you are careful, you can use another floppy flipped over to make a kind of stencil where you need to cut the notch, and use a razor or exacto knife.
There is only one notch on most double-sided disks because most later disk drives (e.g., PCs) had read/write heads for both the top and the bottom of the disk. Users never had to flip disks over, so the disks only needed one write-protect notch to protect both sides.
Prerecorded disks like games or other commercial software usually came on disks without notches at all. Those disks were made using either special drives or ordinary drives with the notch detection disabled.
That's my understanding as well. I don't know about other micro computer manufacturers, but Woz from Apple basically scrapped the upper head and analog board of the early drives to save costs and made engineered a low cost analog board and interface card.
That was how Apple was able to sell floppy drives with their systems much lower than the typical IBM compatible system. And because those drives only had the R/W head on the bottom, to be able to use the full capacity of a double density disk, notching the jacket to allowed the use of the other side.
I wasn't aware until now that other micro computer systems of the day used single head drives, but it makes sense they adapted the idea as well.
Nice gadget... in Poland those days most people were using tape memory only... so such toy were rather not so popular here.
Good day great video i am sending a message because i wanted to ask how i can make notch on my double sided mac flopy i have no notcher likr the one u showed what can i use to make a hole on the other side of the mac floppy what can u recommwnd i dont wanna use somethinbg that can damage the floppy marco
If you are careful, you can use another floppy flipped over to make a kind of stencil where you need to cut the notch, and use a razor or exacto knife.
I never had such fancy gadgets I just used an exacto knife
my first game :christmas, satans hollow, boulder dash, robotron, game with flash gordon soundtrack(i dont know name this game)