What kind of 5.25 floppy disks do I need to buy to use with my Apple IIe and TI-99/4A?

[Boschloo]

The ones at the store are labeled "5.25" floppy disks DS/DD MF2-DD "LOW DENSITY"."

The store says they are sold "DS/DD 360K Formatted" or "DS/DD Not Formatted". Which choice is right?

Can these also be used in the floppy disk drive for the TI-99/4A?

[+OLD CS1]

IIRC, the original Disk ][ drives are single sided.  As are the original TI-99/4A drives.  When I was in elementary using Apples, we bought SS/DD disks from the BX.  A little more difficult to find these days, so DS/DD will work fine.  The formatting is irrelevant as you are unlikely to purchase NOS formatted for either the Apple or TI -- they will most assuredly be for IBM, so you will reformat them, anyway.

 

If you do have a single-sided drive, you may be able to use the second side of the disk by "notching" it.  That is, create a write-protect hole (which, as a hole, does the opposite) opposite of the existing hole.  I believe this works on the Apple, I know it works for the Commodore, but it may not work on the TI as most floppy controller chips use the index (the round hole in the jacket near the hub) to determine that the disk is up to speed and ready.  YMMV.

[Asaki]

4 hours ago, OLD CS1 said:

If you do have a single-sided drive, you may be able to use the second side of the disk by "notching" it.  That is, create a write-protect hole (which, as a hole, does the opposite) opposite of the existing hole.  I believe this works on the Apple...

I've been doing it with my Apple II and no problems so far.

[+kheller2]

Whatever you wind up purchasing, do not buy 5.25" HD.  They will not work well.  Stick with DD if you can find them.

[ColecoGamer]

I can vouch for DD floppies as well. Buy a notcher so you can use both sides of the floppy.

[magnusfalkirk]

If you can't find a disk notcher, which is hard to find nowadays, you can always buy a single hole punch in the school supply area of most stores. Just make sure that you line up the hole punch with the already existing notch and don't go in to far. Then you'll have the back side of thr disk usiable on the Apple II.

[+OLD CS1]

56 minutes ago, magnusfalkirk said:

If you can't find a disk notcher, which is hard to find nowadays, you can always buy a single hole punch in the school supply area of most stores. Just make sure that you line up the hole punch with the already existing notch and don't go in to far. Then you'll have the back side of thr disk usiable on the Apple II.

Ah, memories.