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From: spenton@ssl.berkeley.edu (Steve Penton)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Merits of DOS vs NeXT SCSI HD Formats ?
Summary: I was wondering ...
Message-ID: <1991Mar8.083953.11933@agnte.berkeley.edu>
Date: 8 Mar 91 08:39:53 GMT
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Organization: Space Science Labs - CEA
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I was about to order a Quantum 105 (12ms) from  Warehouse 54
for $399 as an external for my 105 slab, and I was thinking
about whether to use BuildDOS-SCSI or Format it in NeXT Format.

When faced with the same question for 1.44 floppies, I always
choose the DOS because of compatability with the Sparcstations
and such of the world.  So, realizing that if you format it DOS
and something happens to your NeXT you could always read off those
important files wouldn`t you use the DOS option?

Of course, a number of important questions remain

1) Does formatting the disk in NeXT's format yield better performance or what ?
   I assume that they had some tricks in mind by formatting hard drives
   in their own way.? 

2) Considering the recent " what happened to X% of my HD when I formatted
   the sucker"';  IS DOS Format any better/worse in this respect?

3) Are their any compatibility problems doing the DOS thang ?

4) Will formating the disk in DOS format force me to do stupid things
like use the \ for directories (which is even FURTHER away than the |)

Whatcha think ?

Steve Penton
spenton@ssl.berkeley.edu

    /_____________ /|                          Steve Penton                    
   |              | |                     spenton@ssl.berkeley.edu
   |   Figliano!  | |                   Center For EUV Astrophysics
   |              | |               University Of California @ Berkeley 
   |_____________ |/               2150 Kittredge St., Berkeley CA,94720