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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!uwvax!planting
From: planting@uwvax.UUCP (W. Harry Plantinga)
Newsgroups: net.micro,net.micro.atari
Subject: Re: More on the Atari 520ST
Message-ID: <192@uwvax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 13-May-85 09:02:55 EDT
Article-I.D.: uwvax.192
Posted: Mon May 13 09:02:55 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 16-May-85 03:24:14 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept
Lines: 18
Xref: linus net.micro:9059 net.micro.atari:732

In <14398@watmath.UUCP>, Jan Gray (jsgray@watmath.UUCP) writes:

> I saw the Atari 520 ST again, this time at the Toronto Computer Fair.
> . . .  It took 20 or 30 seconds to load the OS off disk when
> powered on . . .  The salesman said that would be reduced to
> almost no time when the hard disk becomes available (1.3 MByte/sec transfer
> rate (DMA)).  The hard disk is expected late in '85, 15 MBytes for $600.

Don't count on much improved performance with the hard disk.  Some
hard disks use voice coils for quick head positioning and some use
stepper-moters to keep the cost low, but the Atari hard disk (when it
becomes available) is supposed to use a third technology which is
cheaper and slower still.  Seek times are said to be roughly the same
as for floppies.

			Harry Plantinga
			planting@wisc-rsch.arpa
			{seismo,ihnp4,allegra,heurikon}!uwvax!planting