Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!godzilla.ele.toronto.edu!leblanc
From: leblanc@godzilla.ele.toronto.edu (Marcel LeBlanc)
Subject: Re: 1541 fast load cartridges
Message-ID: <8803130143.AA08224@godzilla.ele.toronto.edu>
Keywords: 1541 disk-drive fast-loaders
Organization: EECG, University of Toronto
References: <852@umbc3.UMD.EDU>
Date: Sat, 12 Mar 88 20:43:07 EST

In article <852@umbc3.UMD.EDU> pete@umbc3.UMD.EDU (Pete Hsi ) writes:
>
>Yes! I FINALLY got tired of waiting for my 1541!
>
>I'm looking to buy a fast load cartridge and I would like your opinions and
>experiences about the following products:
...
>  Super Cartridge (?) -- Competitor for the Final Cart.

The cartridge is called Super Snapshot (latest is V3.0).  We don't think
of ourselves as competitors to the Final Cart., but rather the other way
around!

>In particular, I would like to know the following:
>  1. Do you MUST re-format your files to take advance of the speed?

Not for the products you mentioned, with the possible exception of Vorpal
(?spell?) EXTRA NOTE:  SS V3.0 will speed up program loads on a 1541 by 11 to
15 times WITHOUT any special format.  If you use the included utility disk to 
convert program files to TURBO 25 format,  files converted to this special
format will load up to 25 times faster (200 blocks in 5 1/2 seconds).
The 1581 loader is 11 times faster than standard.

>  2. How convient are the utilities (copiers, fast formattors, etc)?

Most of the cartridges that you mentioned don't have many other utilities.
Super Snapshot V3.0 has a Fast File Copier that will copy from one drive
type to another (or the same of course)  .e.g. copy from a 1541 to a 1581
(FAST!), or from a 1581 to a 1571, etc ...
SS V3.0 also has disk copiers for the 1541 and 1581 for 1 or 2 drives, and
a fast format for the 1541.

>  3. How compatible is it with copy protected programs?

I have to be careful not to step on too many toes on this one:
I haven't heard many complaints about SS V3.0.  I have had good luck
with Epyx FastLoad, but poor results with Final Cartridge.

>  4. Does it work when used with REL, SEQ, etc files types (from word processor
>     and spreadsheet output files)?

I don't like to make definitive statements, but I don't think you will find
any cartridges that will speed up general REL file access.  SEQ file access
will only be affected if the software does a 'LOAD' of the sequential 
file (e.g. LOAD"seq file,s",8).

>--Pete,  Univ of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC = "U Must Be Crazee" :-)
>  ARPA: pete@umbc3.umd.edu -or- pete@umbc2.umd.edu
>  Bitnet: pete@umbc

  Marcel A. LeBlanc
  University of Toronto -- Toronto, Canada
  also: LMS Technologies Ltd, Fredericton, NB, Canada

UUCP:	{decvax,ihnp4,linus,utzoo,uw-beaver}!utcsri!godzilla!leblanc
ARPA:	leblanc%godzilla.ele.toronto.edu@relay.cs.net
CSNET:	leblanc@godzilla.ele.toronto.edu
CDNNET:	leblanc@godzilla.ele.toronto.cdn
BITNET:	leblanc@godzilla.ele.utoronto (may not work from all sites)
-- 

  Marcel A. LeBlanc
  University of Toronto -- Toronto, Canada
  also: LMS Technologies Ltd, Fredericton, NB, Canada

