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Choosing diskettes – Epson 10020 User Manual

Page 49

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Your computer uses the read/write heads in a disk drive to store

and retrieve data on a disk. There is one head above the

diskette and one below, so the drive can write to both sides of
the diskette. To write to a disk, the computer spins it in the

drive to a position where one of the read/write heads can access
the diskette through the read/write slot. The read/write slot on
a diskette exposes the diskette’s magnetic surface so the read/

write head can write on the appropriate area.

Because data is stored magnetically, you can retrieve it, record
over it, and erase it-just as you play, record, and erase music

on a

Cassette tape.

Choosing Diskettes

Your computer uses diskettes that are 5 1/4-inch, double-sided,

double-density, 48 TPI (tracks per inch) and have a capacity

of 360KB. The diskette boxes are usually marked DS-DD or

2S-2D, soft sector, 48 TPI. Each. 360KB diskette can hold

approximately 150 pages of text. For best results, choose only

high-quality diskettes with reinforced hub

rings.

These diskettes are the same type used on IBM-compatible
computers with 5 1/4-inch drives; so you can use diskettes in
your computer that were prepared and used on another IBM-

compatible computer.

Note

Some computers have 5 1/4-inch diskette drives that have a
capacity of 1.2MB. You cannot use 5 1/4-inch diskettes that

have been formatted for 1.2MB in your 360KB drive.

Additionally, if you are using a 360KB diskette that has been

formatted in a 1.2MB drive, your computer may have trouble

reading that diskette,

2-8

Using Your computer