Am 09.11.2013 19:20, schrieb Alain:

> The first time I read about sparse files was way before the creation of
> NTFS. It dates back to when I was using my Apple ][+ and Apple DOS 3.3.
> Even back then, it was possible to create a file that, if not sparse,
> could weight at a few Mb on a floppy that had a capacity of less than
> 400 Kb.
> I even created a few with some small programms writen in Basic.
>
> I would'nt be surprised if it was possible in even the early verions of
> MS-DOS under the FAT12 file system... After all, Apple DOS was writen my
> Microsoft a few years before the first PCs.

No, not really. Apple DOS was written by Steve Wozniak, i.e. Apple.

Bill Gates & Co. never had anything to do with it. They were CP/M 
jockeys, and MS-DOS was based on that one. It never had system calls for 
sparse files handling, nor did the FAT file system specify any way to 
support them in the first place.

Microsoft even developed a Z80 processor extension card for the Apple 
II, in order to open the Apple II software market for their CP/M based 
products (CP/M being exclusive to Z80-based architectures).

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