Machine Independent Storage Idea...

[Jules Richardson]

Chuck Guzis wrote:
> Is it better to store undecoded data streams (like a Catweasel) or 
> the decoded data?  My inclination is to deal with raw track data 
> without attempting to interpret it.  Requires quite a bit more memory 
> to store data, but has fewer limitations.

Certainly on the gadget I'd prefer to store raw, undecoded data - as you say, 
encoding the data requires knowledge about the actual disk data being stored 
(and potentially screws up various copy-protection schemes in the process).

Personally I'd see any data stored within the gadget as purely transient; the 
'real' archival copy would be held somewhere on properly backed up storage and 
I'd expect tools to exist there to either compress / decompress the 'raw' 
copies, or to have some intelligence and allow conversion between decoded form 
(suitable for analysing, manipulating, using with emulators etc.) and the raw 
format used on the 'floppy emulator'.

Of course conversion requires knowledge of the data at a higher level - but 
that's OK as a user can just install the relevant conversion tools on their 
modern system according to what hardware they have (rather than the floppy 
emulator having to have knowledge of every vintage floppy / filesystem format 
on the planet)

cheers

Jules

-- 
there's a carp in the tub
there's a carp in the tub
so nobody's taken a bath