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Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
From: boyd@fsucs.cs.fsu.edu (Mickey Boyd)
Subject: Re: Hard drives (was Re: Atari ST  and PC Clone)
Message-ID: <9009180348.AA09366@fsucs.cs.fsu.edu>
Reply-To: boyd@nu.cs.fsu.edu (Mickey Boyd)
Organization: Florida State University Computer Science Department
References: <1990Sep15.233100.21009@midway.uchicago.edu> <1990Sep18.001519.15704@uokmax.uucp>
Date: 18 Sep 90 03:53:15 GMT
Lines: 38

In article <1990Sep18.001519.15704@uokmax.uucp>, kllove@uokmax.uucp (Kenneth L Love) writes:
>
>I'm in the market for a hard drive and was wondering what c.s.a.st's opinion
>of the 44 Meg removables are?  Which are best based on cost, reliability, and
>support?  Are the cartridges interchangeable from one to the next (specifi-
>cally Atari's and that one that comes full of PD software)?  Is the one with
>the PD software available without getting the drive?
>
>Please e-mail replies.
>
>                                                  Thanks for the info,
>                                                  Kenneth Love

Well, you have 4 choices.  All of them involve the Syquest SQ-555 44mb        
removable platter mech.  Three companies (that I know of) make such a beast
for the ST:  Toad Computers, Carter Enterprises, and Atari.  The fourth choice
is to roll your own.  I have a buddie that just bought a magnum Toadfile (this
is the toadfile drive w/three cartridges), and he loves it.  I would recommend
it over the Atari unit because of both price and the ICD controller in the 
Toad.  I have not heard much about the Carter entry, other than it is contained
in a small shoebox-style case.  The Toadfile has room and cables for one more 
device (but maybe only 3.5", I cannot remember).  Since it is an embedded SCSI
device, whipping one up yourself should be cake.  Just get a baby AT case with
power supply, and ICD host adaptor, and a Syquest.  You can get a Computer
Shopper and hunt down a Syquest mech (I was quoted a price of $519 about a 
month ago).  Bolt all the stuff together, and voila.  One last footnote:  I have
heard that Syquest is about to release a new mech that stores >100mb on a 
platter, and charge the same retail for it as the SQ-555.  I do not know if this
means the same price to the customer in the end though.  If someone could 
confirm/deny this, I would appreciate it.

-- 
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             Mickey R. Boyd          |  "God is a comedian playing to an 
          FSU Computer Science       |      audience too afraid to laugh."
        Technical Support Group      |
      email:  boyd@fsucs.cs.fsu.edu  |                  - Voltaire 
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