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From: ben@catnip.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: hardcard , how is it ?
Message-ID: <483@catnip.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 27-May-87 17:04:11 EDT
Article-I.D.: catnip.483
Posted: Wed May 27 17:04:11 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 29-May-87 01:57:59 EDT
References: <139@medivax.UUCP> <16800073@clio> <1104@osiris.UUCP>
Reply-To: ben@catnip.UUCP (Bennett Broder)
Organization: The Broder Residence, Holmdel, NJ  07733
Lines: 49

In article <1104@osiris.UUCP> mjranum@osiris.UUCP (Marcus Ranum) writes:
>
>	Why should anyone want a hardcard ? One slot is used, but some of
>them use so mch space that the slot next to them is unusable, too. A regular
>hard disk controller can support 2 drives from one slot. More importantly,
>it costs a bit less to buy a WD controller and an ST drive than a hardcard.
>That way when your ST burns out you still have something you can use... ;-)
>
>	The idea of a peripheral slot as fragile and kludgy as a PC's
>supporting the weight of even a light drive gives me the willies, too.
>You're better off looking into 'regular' drives. They're easier to upgrade,
>maintain, and have more long term staying power. In two years, you won't be
>able to hook up a new drive to the controller of your hardcard. It'll be
>junk. When the price of drives comes down, I'll get another drive or two,
>and with a bit of cable swapping, I can backup one drive to my old 10meg
>drive. Do that with your hardcard.

I think you are being a little hard on hardcards.

To answer your question, 'why should anyone want a hardcard?':
- They are much easier to install
- They are much easier to move from machine to machine.  In fact, several
  companies with complex software packages send their salesmen out with
  demo systems loaded on hardcards.
- Drive bays are generally at much more of a premium than slots.  Using
  a hardcard you can add a hard disk while retaining (or installing) two
  floppies.

We have dozens of Plus systems 20 meg hardcards in use at Monmouth
College.  We have yet to have one crash, malfunction, or give us any other
problem.  This is in sharp contrast to the conventional hard disks we
purchased from Qubie, which occasionally fail to spin up when the machine
is powered on.  For many applications, hardcards are an excellent choice.

I also disagree with you assertion that your old disk controller will be
desirable in the future.  For one thing, many controllers, such as the
one in the original IBM XT, will only accept a single drive type (e.g. 10
megs).  Even the newer ones will tie you to a particular disk recording
technology (usually MFM) and a particular data transfer standard (ST506).
With the advent of RLL (1.5 times the MFM capacity), ERLL (double the MFM
capacity) and EDSI (faster transfer times), it seems likely that by
the time your new hard disk bites the dust, you will want a controller
card with new technology too.

-- 

Ben Broder
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