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From: lastole@athena.mit.edu (Lars A Stole)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Noisy Hard Drives
Keywords: Noisy Hard Drives
Message-ID: <1991Jun11.195443.11592@athena.mit.edu>
Date: 11 Jun 91 19:54:43 GMT
Sender: news@athena.mit.edu (News system)
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Lines: 24

I recently purchased a 400MB slab from University of Chicago's Campus Computer Store.  Unfortunately, as others have warned, the drive makes a very high-pitched whirring sound.  I also have a 200MB slab, and there is a noticeable diference!  

I was under the impression that NeXT was replacing these noisy
drives for something a bit quieter -- which is why I didn't
hesitate to buy the 400MB machine.  In fact, in a posting not too
long ago, I remember someone saying that they returned their
machine to NeXT and had the drive replaced with the new quieter
model at no charge.  I tried to do this, but my campus rep said
that NeXT wouldn't replace the drive, and furthermore, that NeXT
never had such a policy in the past!  They did say, however, that
they were working on some sort of sound baffle to place on the
drive, which would be ready in about a month.  At that time, I
could return my machine and get the baffle installed.  

Has anyone else heard anything about this?  It seems very odd to
me.  Is NeXT's approach of convincing people to wait and not send
in their machines just a way for NeXT to avoid the problem. 
Although I've been very happy with NeXT and their products,  when
NeXT says it'll be ready in about a month I don't believe them. 
[I'm still waiting on the extended floppy set which was due to
ship in Janurary!]

Lars Stole
MIT, Dept. of Economics