Thursday 21 September 2000

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Why are images created using the bin format so much more bulky than some of the competing image structures?

Bin format files are more cumbersome because they contain extra error analyzing code, which can be used to check whether or not bin files are, or have become corrupt at any number of stages during their creation or distribution. If you discover that a bin file is corrupt you can attempt to repair it or download it again from a different source rather than wasting a recordable disk finding out. Some formats lack this critical feature and so would have to be burnt and play tested before it was possible to determine their error status.

Furthermore, bin files are able to archive a far wider range of file systems, regardless of the number of tracks or modes they comprise, so are the perfect multi-purpose solution. The alternative would be to employ a range of diverse formats, one for each kind of data structure leading to unnecessary complications.

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