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From: nathan@orstcs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: How hard and fast are fast hard disk
Message-ID: <24000023@orstcs.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 13-Mar-84 16:24:00 EST
Article-I.D.: orstcs.24000023
Posted: Tue Mar 13 16:24:00 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 30-Mar-84 03:38:00 EST
References: <539@aplvax.UUCP>
Organization: Oregon State University - Corvallis, OR
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Nf-ID: #R:aplvax:-53900:orstcs:24000023:000:1359
Nf-From: orstcs!nathan    Mar 26 13:24:00 1984

Re: Are hard disks hard?

I will put it this way: Otrona (which makes the wonderful Otrona
Attache portable computer Jerry Pournelle is always raving about)
has been looking for years for a 5" winnie tough enough to 
put in their box.  Attache is unusual in that the disk mounts are
"shock-mounts"; in spite of this, nothing available holds up.

On the other hand, Kaypro (which has never made any bones about reliability)
offers a transportable with a 10M winnie in it.  I have heard horror stories
about it.

If you absolutely have to have a winchester in a harsh environment, IMI
advertises better-than-average shock resistance; at their booth you can see
the salesman sit there picking up and dropping one on the table, while
the computer connected to it says "I felt that, but I'm ok."  The saleman 
is careful to drop it on only one face, though... (he wasn't until we said
"what if we try this?", and found out)

Another alternative is the "multi-floppy" solution being pushed by
IOMega.  I have heard nothing, good or bad, but they do fit 8 Mb in a
cartridge.  I would expect v. good shock resistance but (due to open-air
circulation) not too tolerant of dust.  I would expect shipboard 
machines to have more problems with electrical dirt than with shocks, in
any case.

Hope that helps.
Nathan C. Myers
orstcs!nathan
nathan.oregon-state@RAND-RELAY