Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!ub!uhura.cc.rochester.edu!afry From: afry@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Alan R. Fry) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware Subject: Re: removable cartrige hard drive? Message-ID: <13374@ur-cc.UUCP> Date: 13 Apr 91 03:14:06 GMT References: Organization: University of Rochester, Rochester NY Lines: 46 In article Abraxas@itsgw.rpi.edu (Yi Sun) writes: > >Hi, I am looking for additional storage space. It seems to me that a >removable cartrige hard drive (45Mb) is a good buy (about $800 with >additional 45Mb cartrige of $100 each). > >My question is What is the catch? Does the head wears out more often >than fixed hard drive? Is it slow? > >Your input is appreciated. > I recently went through this whole thing myself, and as far as I can tell, the differneces between drives is the power supply, case, fan, connectors, software, bundled software, and tech support. This sounds like a lot, and in fact it is! I worked at a place that had several hundred Mass Microsystems cartridge drives, and 40% (!!) of them had power supply problems. I would say that about another 20% of them had problems with the fan. From what I understand, MM has worked out some of the problems, but be carful of cheaply built dirves. The Syquest 555 drive mechanism itself is only manufactured by one company (Syquest! :-), and it is basically the same in all of the drives (although see the Feb 1991 MacUser for the details on this). For some really good reading, check out the May 1991 MacWorld which has a review of Syquest, Bernoulli, and Rioch drives. A more informative (but slightly older) article appeared in the February 1991 MacUser. I ended up buying an Ehman drive, which, at the time I bought it, was reasonably inexpensive and I trusted the company pretty well. So far I have had no problems with it, and I have a friend who has had an Ehman drive for over a year with no problems. Nevertheless, I don't have much reason to particulary recommend it over all other similarly priced drives. Read the articles I mentioned, check around with other people, and decide for yourself. Good luck, Alan -- +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Alan R Fry | You know what I hate? | | afry@uhura.cc.rochester.edu | Rhetorical questions. | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+