Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!olivea!uunet!ide!biesty From: biesty@ide.com (Bill Biesty) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware Subject: Re: Seeking opinions on 45MB removables Message-ID: <1991Jun20.230122.25885@ide.com> Date: 20 Jun 91 23:01:22 GMT References: <5253@ryn.mro4.dec.com> Sender: usenet@ide.com Organization: IDE, San Francisco Lines: 90 In article <5253@ryn.mro4.dec.com> long@mcntsh.enet.dec.com (Rich Long) writes: > >Hi, > > I'm getting tired of shuffling floppies, so am getting ready to buy a 45MB > Syquest cartridge drive for backup purposes and scratch space. So, I turn to > you net.experts for opinions. I'm a novice in this area, so be gentle. I bought a syquest from APS when my original Apple supplied 20meg drive failed. I figured I could always salvage the platter (and my data!). Make sure you specify whether you want it terminated or not. I got miffed because they didn't attach the internal clip for the fan correctly (I was able to re-attach it myself) and the "ON" led was burned out. Their support people were helpful and they mailed me a new led thing but I've noticed it too burned out. (sigh) But I haven't had any hardware problems and the drive itself (not the housing) has a red and green led when it's active. > I've read the review in the Feb. '91 Macuser, and it looks like either the > APS or Ehman drives are good bets. Inspite of the above I'd still recommend the APS. I can tell it's on without the ON led. Just check the fan. :-) > > o Do Syquests work like big floppies, in that you shove one in and it mounts, > and you drag its ICON to the trash, and it dismounts? I notice in the review > that some of the drives include INITs or CDEVs. What are they for? Would the > cdev interface mean that cartridges must be manually mounted? The inits and cdevs are device drivers. Don't use everything APS sends you though. I had init conflicts; but this is my fault. Hmm. Never tried dragging it to the trash. I had a weird thing happen. I swapped disks without dragging to the trash and without shutting down. it converted the second disk to an extension to the first but didn't up the storage capacity (complained about not finding the system) -I was trying to copy a rather large folder from one to the other. Eventually I had to reformat the second disk to use it as a second disk. Still haven't been able to copy the folder. Anyone know how to copy data from one datacart to another with only one syquest drive? > > o Can the Syquest be left powered off, or must it be on all the time? I leave mine off when I'm not using it. I treat it like any other hard drive except I can change platters. > > o Some of the drives include switched AC outlets. Does this mean I could plug > my Mac into that outlet, power up the drive and have the Mac come up with it? > Would there be timing problems (as there are for some hard disks)? On a > related note, can one boot off a Syquest? > I boot off of my syquest. I don't have the power outlet. I turn the drive on first and then the mac with a few seconds in between. IE you don't have to wait for the drive to completely power up. > General Stuff: > > - I need the drive to be System 7 compatible NOW. Don't know. > > - I'd like to spend no more than about $500. That will be tough. I paid $600-650 with one extra datacart ($75). Prices have come down since then though. > > I'd really like some general feedback, along with perhaps some "I hate/love > my drive because...". I'm happy except for the inability to copy from one to the other like floppies. > > Thanks very much! > >Richard C. Long | long@mcntsh.enet.dec.com | Selfware: If you like >--------------- | ...!decwrl!mcntsh.enet.dec.com!long | this program, send >A First Edition | long%mcntsh.dec@decwrl.enet.dec.com | yourself five bucks! Bill Biesty