Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!att!cbnewsl!bonnie!rbr
From: rbr@bonnie.ATT.COM (4197,ATTT)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Subject: Re: Can a CompuAdd 386 be kept on its side safely?
Keywords: pc,compuadd
Message-ID: <1991Jan25.181712.22102@cbnewsl.att.com>
Date: 25 Jan 91 18:17:12 GMT
References: <2777@speedy.mcnc.org>
Sender: @cbnewsl.att.com
Reply-To: rbr@bonnie.ATT.COM (Bob Rager)
Distribution: usa
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 42

In article <2777@speedy.mcnc.org> ge@mcnc.org (George Entenman) writes:
>
>
>A friend of mine bought a stand to keep her CompuAdd 386 on its
>side, thereby saving desk space.  When the CompuAdd service person
>saw it, however, he said that it made him uneasy to see that.  He
>recommended that she keep the computer flat on her desk.
>
>Who is right?  Will disk drives malfunction when turned on their side?
>Does heat fail to disperse?  Etc?
>
>Any help would be appreciated.
>
>##########################################################################
>#                                                                        #
>#                         George Entenman (ge@mcnc.org)                  #
>#                         MCNC Center for Microelectronics		 #
>#                         P.O. Box 12889                                 #
>#                         Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2889          #
>#                         919/248-1953 (voice)                           #
>#                         919/248-1455 (FAX)                             #
>#                                                                        #
>##########################################################################


There are two factors against standing a system on it's side - gravity
and heat. Gravity effects the head motion and position of the HD. Also
gravity may cause the HD thrust bearings to wear unevenly. Heat will
probably not be a problem for any motherboard chips but it could age
some of the chips on an expansion board (if heat can be trapped under
one).  If the HD is in the lower right drive bay, there is a potentail
heat problem there as well.

When I got my AT&T 6300 (at work) several years ago, I stood it on it's
side. A year later my HD bearings started to sqeal.  This machine had a
HD drive mounted in an external box attached to the side of the PC.
Since then I have seen several 6300 & 6300+ as well as other 6300 clones
(with internally mounted HDs) that have been standing on edge for years.

My home PC (TANDY 1000SL) sits flat on the desk. Must be chicken.

Bob Rager