BBC Micro / BBC Master Software + Akhter MD400A 40/80 Track Floppy Disk Drive

About this deal

This lot combines BBC Micro and BBC Master software on 5.25-inch floppy discs with an Akhter MD400A external disk drive. The Akhter MD400A is a switchable floppy disk drive compatible with BBC computers, and Akhter Computer Group was one of the noted drive resellers that offered drive assemblies fitted with switches to select 40- or 80-track operation. Akhter's disk drive manual was first published in 1985, placing the drive firmly in the era of the BBC Micro and BBC Master. The 40/80 track switching is a practical feature for BBC users: BBC 80-track drives usually had a 40/80 switch to enable double-stepping so that 40-track discs could also be read. Discs were formatted as either 40 or 80 track, giving a capacity of 100 or 200 KB per side. This lot is ideal for retro computing enthusiasts, collectors, or those with a working BBC Micro or Master looking for period-correct software and storage hardware. Both the drive and software are sold for parts or not working.