Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cunixf.cc.columbia.edu!beecher
From: beecher@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Ben Beecher)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: Suggestions for a CD ROM Drive Purchase
Message-ID: <1990Dec8.193547.991@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu>
Date: 8 Dec 90 19:35:47 GMT
References: <1990Dec8.021112.25629@athena.mit.edu>
Organization: Columbia University
Lines: 30

In article <1990Dec8.021112.25629@athena.mit.edu> boogles@athena.mit.edu
   (Brian K Zuzga) writes:
>We are looking to purchase a CD ROM drive for a MAC IIFX.  I was
>looking for any suggestions or caveats that you might have.  Any
>help you could provide would be appreciated.  The safe thing to
>do would be to get an official Apple CD-ROM drive, but it
>allegedly is an old design and quite slow.  What should I look
>out for in regards to the SCSI problem with the FX?  Thank you
>for your time.
>
>Brian Zuzga      boogles@athena.mit.edu

Avoid the Porta-Drive CD-ROM drive by a Toshiba subsidiary (C D
Technology) model number T3201 in the TXM-3200 series.  Microsoft had
a special deal last summer where you could buy the Porta-Drive and
Microsoft Office on a CD for $1000.  When connected to a IIfx the
drive works *ONLY* when daisy chained off another SCSI device.  In my
case I have it daisy chained off a MicroNet 45M removable disk drive.

The drive will not work if connected directly to a IIfx.  Another
problem is the position of the two 50-pin SCSI sockets on the back of
the drive.  They are so close together that you have to bend the
sockets apart to fit the plugs in the sockets.  A really bad design.

I have had no problems with the drive mechanism, however.  It reads
CD's like a champ.

Ben Beecher		beecher@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu
Network Planning	212-854-7439
Columbia University