Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uunet!zephyr.ens.tek.com!tektronix!sequent!norsk
From: norsk@sequent.UUCP (Doug Thompson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Compaq disks are non-standard?
Message-ID: <25301@sequent.UUCP>
Date: 22 Nov 89 16:30:46 GMT
References: <362@m1.cs.man.ac.uk>
Reply-To: norsk@crg2.UUCP (Doug Thompson)
Organization: Sequent Computer Systems, Inc.
Lines: 24

In article <362@m1.cs.man.ac.uk> mario@r3.cs.man.ac.uk writes:
>I have been ringing around the micro dealers looking for some
>expansion disk for my Compaq 386/20e (currently has a 42Mb drive,
>supplied with the system), and was horrified when two of the dealers
>told me that the disk interface on Compaqs is non-standard, and that I
>must buy Compaq's own drives.  These are *expensive* (over twice the
>price per meg of most PC drives).
>
>Is this common knowledge?  (if so, why wasn't I told :-).)
>

That's right, the interface between the disk controller and the hard disk
is Compaq's own. To add another disk requires a) buy the disk from Compaq
b) buy a new disk controller and two (2) new disks and throw/sell the
compaq controller/disk combo.

The interface between the CPU and the disk controller is the standard AT
WD1003 interface.

-- 
Douglas Thompson		UUCP: ..{tektronix,ogcvax,uunet}!sequent!norsk
Sequent Computer Systems	Phone: (503) 526-5727
15450 SW Koll Parkway	!"The scientist builds to learn;the engineer learns in
Beaverton OR 97006	!order to build."  Fred Brooks