Dual format ST and Amiga diskette with Artura and Team Suzuki

Dual format is a technique used to allow

software Software consists of computer programs that instruct the Execution (computing), execution of a computer. Software also includes design documents and specifications. The history of software is closely tied to the development of digital comput ...

for two systems which would normally require different disk formats to be recorded on the same floppy disk. In the late 1980s, the term was used to refer to disks that could be used to boot either an Amiga or

Atari ST Atari ST is a line of personal computers from Atari Corporation and the successor to the company's Atari 8-bit computers, 8-bit computers. The initial model, the Atari 520ST, had limited release in April–June 1985, and was widely available i ...

computer. The layout of the first track of the disk was specially laid out to contain an Amiga and an Atari ST boot sector at the same time by fooling the operating system to think that the track resolved into the format it expected. The technique was used for some commercially available games, and also for the disks covermounted on ST/Amiga Format magazine. Other games came on Amiga and PC dual-format disks, or even "tri-format" disks, which contained the Amiga, Atari ST and PC versions of the game. Most dual and tri-format disks were implemented using technology developed by Rob Computing. Later, the term was used for disks containing both

Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...

and

Macintosh Mac is a brand of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple since 1984. The name is short for Macintosh (its official name until 1999), a reference to the McIntosh (apple), McIntosh apple. The current product lineup inclu ...

versions.

Examples

HO

''Amiga Hall of Light'', accessed July 26, 2011. :# Action Fighter (Amiga/PC dual-format disk) :# Lethal Xcess - Wings of Death II (Amiga/Atari ST dual-format disks) :#

Monster Business ''Monster Business'' is a 1991 vertically scrolling platform game developed by Eclipse Software Design and published by Ascaron, Ascon that was released for the Amiga and Atari ST. Plot The Mad Meanies, a group of mutated monsters, have invaded c ...

(Amiga/Atari ST dual-format disk) :# Populous: The Promised Lands (Amiga/Atari ST dual-format disk) :# Rick Dangerous (Amiga/PC dual-format disk) :# Rick Dangerous 2 (Amiga/PC dual-format disk) :#Stone Age (Amiga/Atari ST dual-format disk) :# Street Fighter (Amiga/PC dual-format disk) :# StarGlider 2 (Amiga/Atari ST dual-format disk) :# 3D Pool (Amiga/Atari ST/PC tri-format disk) :# Stunt Car Racer (Amiga/PC dual-format disk) :# Bionic Commando (Amiga/PC dual-format disk) :# Carrier Command (Amiga/PC dual-format disk) :# Blasteroids (Amiga//PC dual-format disk) :# E-Motion (Amiga//PC dual-format disk) :#Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Action (Amiga//PC dual-format disk) :# Out Run (Amiga/PC dual-format disk) :# World Class Leader Board (Amiga/PC dual-format disk) :# International Soccer Challenge (Amiga/PC dual-format disk) :# MicroProse Soccer (Amiga/PC dual-format disk)

References

Amiga Atari ST IBM PC compatibles Macintosh platform Rotating disc computer storage media Software distribution Video game distribution {{storage-software-stub

Examples

See also

References