Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!unmvax!intvax!novak
From: novak@intvax.UUCP (James L. Novak)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: What is IDE??
Keywords: CompuAdd, Hard Drives
Message-ID: <1821@intvax.UUCP>
Date: 31 Oct 89 23:10:40 GMT
Organization: Sandia National Labs, Org. 1411, Albq, NM
Lines: 16

CompuAdd just opened a store in NM (darn, have to pay sales tax now)
and since I'm in the market for a 8088 Clone for the inlaws, I stopped
in for a look.  Their 10MHz 8088 has the floppy controller and some 
sort of hard disk interface on the motherboard.  They call their
HDI an "Integrated Drive Electronics" interface.  Looking at their
catalog, I found out that Miniscribe and Western Digital both make
these drives, although I was unable to find ANY other Manufacturers or
mail-order companies offering them.

Is IDE just a mareting tool used by CompuAdd to channel purchases of
HDs through them exclusively?  Does it actually use a "standard"
interface (SCSI or ESDI?).   I must admit I've not kept up with
HDs since I prefer to not tempt myself with anything better than my
(gasp) ST225.

Thanks in advance for any light shed on this issue.