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From: truesdel@ics.uci.edu (Scott Truesdell)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Is an Apple Hard Disk better than any of the others ???
Message-ID: <1989Oct4.201337.27854@paris.ics.uci.edu>
Date: 4 Oct 89 20:13:37 GMT
References: <MDH.89Sep18115059@frieda.mitre.org> <1989Oct3.011412.2789@paris.ics.uci.edu> <1989Oct4.044057.19765@grian.cps.altadena.ca.us>
Sender: news@paris.ics.uci.edu (Network News)
Organization: UC Irvine Department of ICS
Lines: 43

alex@grian.cps.altadena.ca.us (Alex Pournelle) responded to the following
statement by saying that there was actually a high likelyhood that the
3rd party drive would, in fact, NOT be a Quantum:

>>There is a high likelyhood that the 3rd party drive you may purchase
>>is manufactured by the same company that the Apple brand drive is;
>>Quantum.

Sorry for the quick statement. I'll qualify it here.
1st, since this is for a IIcx (if I remember correctly), the original
querier is limited to 3.5" drives UNLESS he gets a CDC from MicroNet
who have fabricated a replacement molding for the drive bracket that
replaces the standard Apple bracket and allows for mounting 5.25"
mechanisms.

2nd, I presummed (probably wrong) that the querier wants performance
and reliablity. Alex, you see more of these things than I do, but,
besides the "stiction" problems which appear well on the way to a cure,
the little Quantums are the fastest and most reliable 3.5" drives, yes?

3rd, I probably should have worded that statement "...3rd party drive
you may CHOOSE or SELECT..." meaning, after he examined the selection
of drives out there, he would arrive at the same conclusion I have, 
and buy Quantum drives exclusively in the 3.5" range. When the CDC 
Swifts start shipping, I PRESUME they will give the Quantums a good 
run for the money.

>Micro-Net drives are my favorite, by far.  They have the best tech.
>support and tech. people.  And the CDC mechanisms don't break.

I agree wholeheartedly. All my AppleShare servers are using CDC Wrens
except for 4 SEs used to serve 4 15-Mac Plus Pascal programming
networks. These use Quantums. Also, all Mac IIs with drives other than
Apple-supplied (higher ed discount makes these hard to pass up) get CDC
mechanisms. I find it very easy to cost justify these drives to
University purchasers on the following grounds: Reliability means less
money in maintenance, reliability means less downtime, made in U.S.A./
good for economy, and, as an aside, they offer the best performance.

  --scott
 
--
Scott Truesdell