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From: readdm@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (David M. Read)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Subject: MEI / MicroCenter Diskettes (again)
Message-ID: <39963@ut-emx.uucp>
Date: 19 Nov 90 21:00:22 GMT
Sender: news@ut-emx.uucp
Reply-To: readdm@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (David M. Read)
Organization: UT-Austin Nuclear Physics (Jerry's Kids)
Lines: 37
Originator: readdm@mickey.cc.utexas.edu

After all of the uproar concerning MEI / MicroCenter and their
diskettes I decided that the only way to find out for sure was to go
and order some myself.  Here'e what happened:

I picked up a copy of the Computer Shopper, and called MEI's 800
number listed in their ad.  They answered on the first try, which is
more than I can say for many of the advertisers in CS.

I placed an order for 50 HD 3.5" diskettes, two packages of labels,
and a couple of thei el-cheapo diskette storage boxes.  I payed with a
VISA number, and thet assured me that I would get the stuff within
7-10 days.  This was all on Monday morning two weeks ago.

The very next Monday, the box arrived.  I sat down that night and
formatted all of the diskettes, and discovered the following:
out of 50 diskettes, 9 had one or more bad sectors.  In the worst
case, one diskette had almost 70Kbytes worth of bad sectors.  Two of
the diskettes had bad sectors on track 0, which makes them completely
unusable.  These two were complete write-offs, so I ripped them open
because my girlfriend wanted to see what  the inside of a diskette
looks like.

So the failure rate is either 9/50 or 2/50, depending on how you look
at it.  Either way, the 79 cents/diskette price makes them much
cheaper than they are bought retail!

I haven't tried calling MEI to see about replacements yet, but I'm not
sure it's worth the effort.  I'll do it, though, just to let people
know how it goes.

All in all, this was a pretty satisfactory order for me, and I
wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

-- 
Dave Read                 | readdm@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu  |"I will go insane, and 
UT-Austin Nuclear Physics | readdm@physics.utexas.edu  | I WILL TAKE YOU WITH ME
 Graduate Student (Slave) | read@lampf.lanl.gov        | -from 'Beetlejuice'