Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.hardware
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!metahawk
From: metahawk@itsgw.rpi.edu (Wayne G Rigby)
Subject: Re: Syquest Removable Hard Drives
Message-ID: <+6lg+8d@rpi.edu>
Keywords: hard drive scsi Syquest
Sender: Wayne Rigby
Nntp-Posting-Host: jec413.its.rpi.edu
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY
References: <18360@sdcc6.ucsd.edu>
Date: 17 Apr 91 21:07:32 GMT
Lines: 48

In article <18360@sdcc6.ucsd.edu> mketcham@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Michelle Ketcham) writes:
>
>   I am considering buying a Syquest removable hard drive which I
>would like to put in the 5 1/4 drive bay on my A2000.  As this would
>be my first hard drive, I will need a scsi controller.  Does it
>matter which controller I get?  Does anyone have any experience with
>this drive or any advice on whether or not this is a good idea? (I
>have been told that a "normal" hard drive would be better as my
>first drive and a removable one would be a good second drive)  I'm
>kind of looking at the removable drive from an economic standpoint
>(i.e. This would be my only drive and yet I could buy several
>cartridges and, in essence, have a 88 or 132 meg capacity hard
>drive.)
>
>   Any comments or suggestions (posted or emailed) will be greatly
>appreciated.
>
>                   Thanks,  Michelle
>
>
>-- 
>_______________________________________________________________________________
>  Michelle Ketcham                                   mketcham@sdcc13.ucsd.edu

    Yes, you will need a controller.  A few companies sell internal versions
of the Syquest for the A2000 which come with controllers.  (Check with the
company you're ordering from.)  If you get one without a controller, C='s
A2091 is a fast controller, but it doesn't support hard drives that can be
"removed."  There is a hack (DISKCHANGE?) that would allow you to change
cartridges.  Another problem you'll bump into is if you boot off one of the
cartridges, you really won't be able to change it without rebooting.
Everytime you remove the boot up cartridge, and do just about anything
that hasn't been made resident, you'll get a request to reinsert the boot up
disk.  So unless you boot off of floppies, you'll only be able to access
one 44Meg cartridge.  Yes, these make great 2nd hard drives, but I've
used a Syquest as a main drive on a Mac and was not inconvenienced much at
all.  You might also consider the Ricoh removable media drive.  GVP sells it.
It's very similar to the Syquest, except that the cartridges hold about
50Megs and you can't accidentally insert the cartridges in the wrong way
(really not a big problem, just possible).  It's a little more expensive, but
the cartridges are priced well; unfortunately, I don't think there is an
internal version, yet.

                                  Wayne Rigby
                                  Computer and Systems Engineer (in training)
                                  Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
                                  metahawk@rpi.edu