Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!ncar!ico!rcd
From: rcd@ico.isc.com (Dick Dunn)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.i386
Subject: Re: IDE drives & controllers
Summary: yes, they work
Message-ID: <1990Aug15.190413.22856@ico.isc.com>
Date: 15 Aug 90 19:04:13 GMT
References: <1990Aug14.221810.3640@agate.berkeley.edu>
Organization: Interactive Systems Corporation, Boulder, CO
Lines: 31

ilan343@violet.berkeley.edu writes:
> What is the word on IDE drives and 386 unix (Either Interactive's or
> Esix)?...

Should work OK.  I've checked out some "MiniScribe" (now Maxtor) IDE
drives on ISC 2.2; they work fine.  It's always possible for a manu-
facturer to do something to screw up compatibility, but in this case
it's unlikely.

> 	Does the choice of IDE interface card matter?

Not really.  An IDE interface is very little more than an extension of the
AT bus, probably with something to drive the front-panel LED.  It doesn't
affect the speed of the disk, caching, or anything like that.

But if you're as dumb as I am, the choice of interface card *does* matter!
When I was setting up my test, I just borrowed the most vanilla IDE card,
pulled out the old disk and WD controller, put in the new disk and IDE
card...and stood there looking stupidly at the cable from the floppy.  Get
one with a floppy controller on it!

> 	In the same price range, would I be better off with an ESDI
> 	drive?  Any controller/drive recommendations?

I'd think you would have trouble finding an ESDI controller/disk combo for
the price of an IDE setup, especially with the under-$1k price on the
Conner drive.  (An IDE board with a floppy controller should be under $40;
by itself it should be under $20.)
-- 
Dick Dunn     rcd@ico.isc.com -or- ico!rcd       Boulder, CO   (303)449-2870
   ...Are you making this up as you go along?