Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!rutgers!ames!sdcsvax!net1!graifer
From: graifer@net1.ucsd.edu (Dan Graifer)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Hard Disks
Message-ID: <3733@sdcsvax.UCSD.EDU>
Date: Wed, 26-Aug-87 13:27:40 EDT
Article-I.D.: sdcsvax.3733
Posted: Wed Aug 26 13:27:40 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 28-Aug-87 05:56:36 EDT
References: <208000001@prism> <2019@ccicpg.UUCP>
Sender: nobody@sdcsvax.UCSD.EDU
Reply-To: graifer@net1.UUCP (Dan Graifer)
Organization: UCSD Office of Academic Computing
Lines: 67


About once a month, somebody new asks the net for opinions on hard disks. 
The Macintosh magazines do comparative reviews, but they are always way out
of date, and don't always cover the whole market.

I am probably going to be sorry I did this, but I hereby volunteer to gather
some statistics.  Before you hit your (r)espond keys, let's think about this.
I want ONE LINE responses, with STANDARD TAB SEPARATED FIELDS.  I can then
use switcher to paste the responses into my db.  I would propose the following:

Make
  SuperMac
Model
  DataFrame 20
DriveMake
  NA
Capacity MB
  21
Type
  SIDE (other responses are: UNDER, INTERNAL, OTHER)
Port
  SCSI (OTHER)
DiskTimRead
  98
DiskTimerWrite
  99
DiskTImerAccess
  69
    (My XP upgrade is on order!  I know DiskTimer results can be misleading,
     but it is the only standardized test we have.  I will include a notice
     in any reports that I release)
HardwareReliability
  5 (scale 0-5)
MakerResponsiveness
  4 (scale 0-5)
Software
  SPOOLER (vs NOSPOOLER)
  BACKUP (vs NOBACKUP)
Noise
  2 (0=Silent to 5=banshee)



Thus my response would be

SUPERMAC	DATAFRAME 20	NA	21	SIDE	SCSI	98	99	69	5	4	SPOOLER	BACKUP	2

Is the potential for lines longer than 80 chars a problem for some hosts?  Are
there important fields I am missing?  Before I ask for responses, lets hash
this out.  Once I post the final format,  I would want EVERYONE on the net who
has a hard disk to send me a response.  Only post if you cannot E-mail with 
repeated tries!

I may loose net access by the end of this year.  If so, I will mail somebody
else the DB.
I hope I am not going to be sorry I did this.  Hopefully, after this has 
exhausted me in a few months, someone else will take over the job for a
quarter. I expect to get a hundred responses immediately, and maybe that
many again over the next year.  The resulting reports, and maybe even the
database could then be posted here or in the sources group.

PS, Oh, do you think date of purchase should be in the DB?  I don't want
to ask for price, as some may not want to reveal special deals, and thats
subject to change over time anyways.
                              Dan Graifer
                              graifer@net1.UCSD.EDU
Disclaimer: Nobody ever listens to me anyways; Why should they start now?