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From: hdrw@ibmpcug.co.uk (Howard Winter)
Newsgroups: comp.periphs.scsi,connect.audit
Subject: Re: Comments on 269n wanted...
Message-ID: <1991Feb27.200007.2439@ibmpcug.co.uk>
Date: 27 Feb 91 20:00:07 GMT
Organization: The IBM PC User Group, UK.
Lines: 48


I have an ST 296n - although your posting said 269,  I believe that's the one
you mean, since the the '96' indicates 96Mb unformatted ('2' means 5 1/4" 
half-height) and it formats to 84Mb.  I am using it with the Seagate ST01
controller card, which is an 8-bit card.  The drive comes with software 
installed on it, which needs to be copied onto diskettes, and the drive is
then formatted and the software reloaded.  
I had no problems with the installation, but the formatting process does 
not allow the interleave factor to be changed.  It is set to 3:1 by the
software giving a transfer rate of 310K bytes/second.  I believe that
the 8-bit controller would not be able to handle 2:1 or 1:1 interleave.

Coretest gives performance figures: Average seek time 31.5mS, track-to-
track seek: 10.8mS.  Data transfer 310Kb/Sec, Performance factor 3.5 XT.

I have heard this drive described as 'famously brain-damaged' and that
it cannot be formatted at 1:1 interleave.  I understand this is because
its SCSI controller (on the drive, not the card) cannot handle it.

I have had only one problem, that very occasionally it fails to power
up properly.  A sharp thump to the front of the PC's case cures it,
which suggests that the heads are not moving from their parked position
(the drive auto-parks on power-down).  This has only happened about 4 or 5
times, over several months, and could be due to the room being rather
cold.  
Although the drive is very goods value for money, I am disappointed by 
its performance limitations.  A better controller would help, but I am 
planning to upgrade capacity as well, and I looking at a Conner 200Mb
IDE drive, which seems to be good value and is very highly regarded by
net.people.  I will keep the ST296n as a second drive, and use it for
storing little-used software (shareware that I haven't evaluated etc)
and at a future date may change the controller.

I don't know what your budget is like, but I would try to get the best
drive affordable, not just the best value per byte, which is why I got
the 296 in the first place.  I don't regret buying it (about a year ago)
but nowadays there is better to be had.

All of the above is my own opinion, and as such may be rubbish!

Hope some of this is useful - good luck.

Howard.-- 
Automatic Disclaimer:
The views expressed above are those of the author alone and may not
represent the views of the IBM PC User Group.
-- 
hdrw@ibmpcug.Co.UK     Howard Winter     0W21'  51N43'