Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ncar!gatech!ncsuvx!ecemwl!jnh
From: jnh@ecemwl.ncsu.edu (Joseph N. Hall)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Removable "HD"s -- are they worth it?
Message-ID: <3532@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu>
Date: 28 Jul 89 22:18:53 GMT
References: <9095@venera.isi.edu>
Sender: news@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu
Reply-To: jnh@ecemwl.UUCP (Joseph N. Hall)
Distribution: comp
Organization: North Carolina State University
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In article <9095@venera.isi.edu> jas@ISI.EDU (Jeff Sullivan) writes:
>I'm think9ng about looking into one of those ~45Meg removable nedia
>"hard" drives.  I was wondering if anyone has experience or heard
>anything about them.  They seem liake a great solution to
>backup/second HD problem.
>
>Any comments?  Also, access time looks pretty good on the Mass Micro
>one.  About 23ms if memory serves.
>
The guts of 44Mb cartridge drives are ALL made by Syquest, and are packaged
and remarketed by Peripheral Land, Mass Micro, LaCie, etc.  A recent issue
of MacWorld compared removable storage technology.

Actually, I believe that there is now a 45Mb Bernoulli Box from IOMega, which
is a different technology (using a flexible disk instead of a hard disk,
but the same general end result), so "45 Mb removable" may not always mean
Syquest in the future.

Prices range from $1000 to $2000 for single-drive units, and two-drive units
are around $2000.  Any difference in performance will result mostly from
software, and believe me, this WILL make a difference.  Nominal access times
for these boxes are 25ms, i.e., faster than the Apple hard disks, slower
than the 15ms speed demons available from other vendors.  Cartridges are about
$100-$120; if you pay more you're being taken.  Try MacWarehouse, MacConnection,
MacProducts, etc.  In my opinion if you pay $1800 or $2000 for a single-drive
removable when you can get something that works the same (or better) from
LaCie (for example) for about $1000, you're also being taken, but then again
a particular style of box might be worth $800 to you ...

A two-drive unit is a lot of fun if you can afford it.  I used a similar
20Mb dual Bernoulli box once ... it was as fast as my existing hard disk
(sometimes faster) and backups were ... well, quick.

Check the Macworld article for details and a comparison with the other
removable high-capacity storage media.

v   v sssss|| joseph hall                      || 4116 Brewster Drive
 v v s   s || jnh@ecemwl.ncsu.edu (Internet)   || Raleigh, NC  27606
  v   sss  || SP Software/CAD Tool Developer, Mac Hacker and Keyboardist
-----------|| Disclaimer: NCSU may not share my views, but is welcome to.