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From: steve@violet.berkeley.edu (Steve Goldfield;232HMB;3-6292;;MF62)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: Wanted: Info on SyQuest drives
Message-ID: <1991May2.175412.8376@agate.berkeley.edu>
Date: 2 May 91 17:54:12 GMT
References: <63986@bbn.BBN.COM> <1991May02.062642.3920@ecst.csuchico.edu> <00947FE8.7AA745A0@uclapp.physics.ucla.edu>
Sender: root@agate.berkeley.edu (Charlie Root)
Distribution: comp
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
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In article <00947FE8.7AA745A0@uclapp.physics.ucla.edu> price@uclapp.physics.ucla.edu (John Price) writes:
#>In article <1991May02.062642.3920@ecst.csuchico.edu>, ekrimen@ecst.csuchico.edu (Ed Krimen) writes:
#>>I have some knowledge of Syquest drives running on three totally different
#>>systems. (Actually, I came across another system today that is running one.)  To
#>>summarize, I wouldn't buy one now if I needed one.  I'd look closer at the 
#>>Ricoh removable hard drive.
#>
#>	True, the Ricoh cartridges do seem to merit a closer look.
#>
#>>I see a problem with the cartridges.  The theory is that HD platters are
#>>supposed to be protected from dust particles, etcetera, but the Syquest
#>>drives' shutter can be easily opened and expose the platter.  I can't
#>>see how it can possibly protect the platter.  It's about as protective
#>>as the shutter on a 3.5" disk!
#>
#>	The easy answer to this is *not* to open the shutter!  I mean, come 
#>on, it's not like you're going to purposely damage your data - which is 
#>what opening the shutter amounts to (if you do it enough - I've had the 
#>same cartridge for over a year, with less than one complaint).
#>
#>           John Price * * * * price@uclapp.physics.ucla.edu
#>           Where there is no solution, there is no problem.

Ditto. Many of us have been using the Syquest cartridges over
long periods of time without problems. I've even dropped
cartridges and not damaged them.

Syquest has a new drive with double the capacity which
reportedly can read the old cartridges, too.

If several hundred dollars to get an extra few megabytes
doesn't mean much to you or if you are in an environment
that demands the extra robustness of the Ricoh, go ahead
and get it. But one can get a Syquest (in the DPI box) for
less than $600. The Ricoh's I've seen were closer to or
more than $1,000.

Steve Goldfield