KryoFux Floppy Controller (USB floppy disk reader/writer) - Is it any good?

I'm looking into various preservation/dumping methods for floppy disks on modern computers, and I was wondering if anyone here has experience using the Kryoflux (sold here: https://webstore.kryoflux.com/catal...id=30&osCsid=2ad1a64cb6c1401ca3387bdbe36555fc).

Is it any good? Does it do what it's advertised to do? Is it of a high enough build quality that it will last? I'm just struggling to justify the 99 euro base price, the components and board can't possibly cost that much. And surely someone who has the motivation and skills to develop a device such as this would have the best interest of videogame preservation in mind, so why such a huge mark-up?

 

I have used it for dumping 35 yo 8" floppies with consistent good results. You should probably check with the various floppy disk preservation communities on which hw is best.

 

If I had to guess, I'd assume that the project is managed and sold by someone other than the actual developer. I reached out to them on behalf of a small business that was considering publishing a title (not video game related) on 720k floppies for compatibility on legacy hardware and we were quoted 3,999 EUR (~4,700 USD as of today) just for one unit with a license for basic business use.

That being said, I have one for personal use and have backed up a bunch of 720k floppies for use with my floppy emulators and it works great. The software is written in Java, which I find a little janky in 2017, but it has all the functions you'd want out of the device and it works on modern OSes.

 

The cost for businesses is higher as it helps subsidize the development of the project, so it makes sense. There aren't really comparable projects out there doing what it does, and it's a niche thing so prices aren't going to be what you might see on Amazon.

 

That does seem awfully expensive. I guess there isn't really anything you can do though, if this really is the best option.

Could you possibly please direct me to these communities?

Right, that makes sense.

 

I guess the point that I was trying to make is that Kryofux isn't a "passion project turned business" like the one man show that Krikzz or BadAssGamer is. It looks like this entity is outsourcing the engineering and development to create a tool for their preservation purposes...hence the relatively high costs in relation to the "one man show" approach to engineering that the video game community has gotten use to as of late.

And that's fine with me...sure beats trying to develop such a thing myself...but it definitely has a different situation surrounding it in comparison to the Everdrives or sanni's card dumper...