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From: mjg@ecsvax.UUCP (Michael Gingell)
Newsgroups: net.micro.pc
Subject: Hard Disk bad and good news.
Message-ID: <1843@ecsvax.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 22-Jul-86 10:12:07 EDT
Article-I.D.: ecsvax.1843
Posted: Tue Jul 22 10:12:07 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 24-Jul-86 00:43:52 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: UNC Educational Computing Service
Lines: 56



I just received a 30 Meg CMI drive from BCE Liquidators for
$349 + shipping. After extensive testing with HTEST/HFORMAT
from Kolod Research I am satisfied that it works for now.

However I am upset with BCE who have played a switcharoo on
the warranty. The June issue of Computer Shopper has a full
page ad for the drive in which they offer a 15 MONTH 
warranty from Leading Edge who originaly bought them. Now
they send me a 6 month warranty and a copy of the July ad
where they have changed from 15 to 6. No letter, no 
explanation, no apology - nothing. I doubt that there is
much that I can do apart from complain - and I intend to do
that.

Maybe Leading Edge has got cold feet because the latest 
issue of InfoWorld carries a story that dealers are 
reporting trouble (eg crashes) with Model D drives which
just happen to be the 30 Meg CMI jobs. 

While I am on line I would like to compliment Kolod Research
on an excellent diagnostic and format utility for hard 
disks. This is far superior to the Hard (sorry IBM - Fixed)
disk section of the IBM advanced diagnostics. One program
covers PC/XT and AT and controllers from Adaptec, DTC, Xebec
Western Digital, Scientific Micro (OMPTI) and of course,
genuine IBM originals. It works with any number of cylinders
and surfaces. Features include:

      HFORMAT to do low level formatting. Performs extensive
              read write testing at the same time.
 
      HTEST   a really versatile tester of your drive.
              Options include Read only, Write/Read, Quick,
              Accordion and Stagger testing.

      HOPTIMUM allows you to determine the optimum sector
              interleave for your drive and system.

      RELOCATE a disk parking program.

      GETSEC and PUTSEC - two programs to allow you to save
              and restore absolute disk sectors from a file.


I got mine from The Programmers Shop. I have no financial
or other interest in this except as an owner and user I
think it is a good program and everybody should know about
it.  Oh - it costs $89.95.

Mike Gingell     ....decvax!mcnc!ecsvax!mjg   (919) 850-6444


P.S. Oops! by owner I mean owner of a copy of the program not
The Programmers Shop.