Path: utzoo!censor!geac!jtsv16!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!n8emr!cmhgate!f200.n226.z1.FIDONET.ORG!Adam.Frix
From: Adam.Frix@f200.n226.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Adam Frix)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Mac/Quantum 40/80 meg Drives
Message-ID: <28946.255A4713@cmhgate.FIDONET.ORG>
Date: 8 Nov 89 03:50:48 GMT
Organization: FidoNet node 1:226/200 - Aurora Borealis, Gahanna Oh
Lines: 51

Peter Espen writes:
 
>The 80 Meg Quantum in my IIcx started acting flacky about 3 weeks ago,
>so I brought it in and had the new ROM installed. I now have  a IIcx
>with a drive that makes weird noises and is significantly slower at
>random times. SOME FIX! It would be perfectly possible for Apple to
>initiate an exchange program, install new or rebuilt Quantums in our
>Apples and send the bad drives to Quantum, where they could be opened
>up and rebuilt. If the lubricant really is the only problem, the
>drives can be repaired and sent back to market and used for exchanges.
>I'm really starting to get fed up with Apple's attitude of "customer
>support .... what's that?"
 
 
There's an article in the MacWEEK I received yesterday (11/6) that
mentions that a whole bunch of people are dissatisfied with the ROM fix. 
In fact, it seems the ROM fix slows the drives down some ungodly amount. 
(Sorry, I don't have the article in front of me, or I'd quote the relevant 
passages).  Apple claims that this slowdown lasts for only 2 weeks (I'm
still trying to figure _that_ one out) and, indeed, many folks have borne
this out.  One user that MacWEEK interviewed, however, said that his
slowdown returned even worse a week later.
 
I think the general opinion is going along the lines of "Apple dropped the 
ball on this one, big time."
 
You also mention that you are a "once satisfied Apple user."  My
suggestion is to buy only the basic, _basic_ box from Apple and do
everything else through third parties.  The market is a great one now; you 
can get displays, keyboards, pointing devices, disk drives, etc., all for
tremendously lower prices, with tremendously better warranties and
customer support.  Anyone buying an Apple box with Apple RAM, hard drives, 
displays, etc. included are merely asking for trouble.  Look at it this
way:  even Jasmine admitted its problems with Rodime drives much more
easily than Apple admits any problems whatsoever.
 
So your next purchase, go buy an Apple box with a DataDesk keyboard (or
some such), Kensington trackball or A+ mouse, a Radius or SuperMac display 
setup, and a GCC hard drive.  Then you'll be a satisfied Apple/Kensington/
Radius/GCC user.  Oh, and get a GCC laser printer or a HP DeskWriter. 
(Those of us who bought Macintosh systems before the recent glut of
successful third party hardware and are desperately trying to get good
output from our ImageWriter IIs, look at those buying new systems now with 
great envy.)
 
--Adam--

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