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