Newsgroups:   comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Path: utzoo!censor!geac!itcyyz!yrloc!intern
From:         loc@yrloc.ipsa.reuter.COM (Leigh Clayton)
Subject:      Erasable Optical Drives
Message-ID: <1991Jan21.194645.3404@yrloc.ipsa.reuter.COM>
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Date:         21 Jan 91 18:48:14 UT

 In response to the query from marty@atmos.ogi.edu (Marty Shearer)

 I use a Sony MO erasable disk with a 25MHz Intel PC (302). It is a SCSI
device, and I use the Adaptec SCSI controller. I have a 330Meg Priam SCSI hard
drive in the machine, as well as an Archive SCSI tape drive.

 I normally use that PC for Unix, but I do still use one of the cartridges for
a DOS system occasionally (and for a while used it that way full time). The MO
disk would be my first choice (if I could afford it) if I were setting up a
system such as you describe .. although I think now I'd look into one of the
new multi-mode drives to get WORM support.

 I have (or have had at various times) a CD-Rom drive, Quadram 3270 card,
Etherlink-II ethernet adapter, Computone serial driver card, and various video
cards plugged into the PC. While I have had various troubles with 386ix support
for dismountable disks, and some of the other cards have required screwing
around with this and that to get them to work, I have never seen any problem
caused by either the Adaptec controller or the Sony drive. I recommend the
combination unhesitatingly.

 As far as I know if you are running DOS you will never see a problem. The
problems with 386ix can be managed (basically ... never dismount a disk without
doing a reboot) but I was told by ISC that some future version of the HPDD will
actually support dismountable hard disks properly.

 I hope this helps .../Leigh

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- VPIX SUX                                     /Me        -
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loc@tmsoft.UUCP                     uunet!mnetor!tmsoft!loc
loc@ipsa.reuter.COM                         (Leigh Clayton)