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From: ms33@prism.gatech.EDU (Mike Sullivan,  a.k.a. Sully)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: RLL ?Reliability?
Keywords: RLL Controller
Message-ID: <11971@hydra.gatech.EDU>
Date: 30 Jul 90 12:59:25 GMT
Sender: ms33@prism.gatech.EDU
Distribution: usa
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology
Lines: 37

What is the reliability of the current RLL controllers on drives rated
for both MFM and RLL?  I've been opposed to RLL due to the problems
they had when they first came out, but a salesman almost has me
convinced that their reliability is within acceptable limits (doesn't
that send up warning flags!)  He also has talked about another type of
controller using ARRL format (by Perstore).  This is suppose to get
even more storage space out of a drive than RLL.  

I am also concerned that if I convert to RLL, many of my
hard-drive/hardware programs will not work (Spedstor, Coretest, etc).
My concern is: what programs will work, which ones I'll have to
replace with their RLL counterparts?  This is not as important as the
reliability, but I would like to be prepared so I can at least put a
low-level format on the drive.  I imagine that all the software will
work in a business as usual fashion, but nothing in the computer world
compared to cold-hard experience.

Anyone out there have any advice?  In summary, my questions are:
   1) Reliability of RLL (is it within acceptable limits?)
   2) Reliability of ARRL (especially the Perscom Controller)
   3) Is this totally transparent to ALL software, or will
      software designed to low-level format or other hardware
      specific actions need to know I'm using RLL?

Acceptable limits (reliability): Errors due to hard-drive should be rare
        at best.  Personally owned machine where owner gets
        highly upset when data goes bad.  Over 30 Meg of archives 
        updated on a semi-regular basis and drive gets used Med-High levels.


Thanks in advance,
Mike Sullivan

One of many Michael P. Sullivans, my views are expressly my own, and are not 
endorsed by my boss, fellow workers, or any other Mike Sullivan. :-)
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