Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!mit-eddie!apollo!weber_w
From: weber_w@apollo.uucp (Walt Weber)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: BMS controller package
Message-ID: <39577148.10b48@apollo.uucp>
Date: 28 Dec 87 21:02:00 GMT
References: <3217@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> <1147@eneevax.UUCP>
Reply-To: weber_w@apollo.UUCP (Walt Weber)
Organization: Apollo Computer, Chelmsford, MA
Lines: 44
Keywords: SCSI, Adapter, BMS

In article <1147@eneevax.UUCP> iarocci@eneevax.umd.edu.UUCP (John Iarocci) writes:
>
>Being the owner of two BMS kits (one for a Micropolis 1325 on a 1040, and one
>for a Seagate ST506 on a 520+), I have seen how Berkley Microsystems has
>improved over the last year or so. I think their present-day package is well
>put together and easy to build. I have only had two reservations about the
>kit: 1) The non-standard format used on the disks, and 2) THAT SHORT CORD!!
>
>Until a recent (fairly) Atari Fest in the area, I was under the impression
>that the BMS kit was the only one out there. At this fair, I was introduced
>to ICD, Inc.

I, too, am a VERY SATISFIED customer of BMS.  My opinions of the ICD offering
differ somewhat from yours, however.

I saw ICD's product at the Worcester AtariFest, and while I think they have
an acceptable product, I believe that their methods are less than acceptable.
My local Atari dealer (exclusively Atari for the last 4+ years) tells me that
ICD has been present in the 8-bit marketplace for a considerable time.

My contact at BMS, however, told me that ICD initially contacted BMS with a
great deal of interest in the BMS board, and assured BMS that ICD was not
going to get into that business.  A short while later, ICD released a board
which has a strong resemblance to the BMS board with a few modifications.

Note that I am NOT advocating sole-sourcing of add-ons for the ST line -- I just
do NOT like the idea of an "established" company staying out of the ST marketplace
until (or unless) they can piggyback off of the efforts of a fledgling operation by
misrepresenting their intentions.

As to your first reservation (above), BMS follows the Atari standard of only allowing
4 partitions per drive, while Supra established an "extended format" which permits
8 partitions per drive, but is NOT compatible with Atari's AHDI.  ICD follows the
Supra extended format.  I think if you go back to Tom Love's excellent article in
a back issue of Current Notes you will find that BMS did not have a disk driver of
their own, and that users would just use Atari's formatter (format.prg?) and
driver (ahdi.prg).

...walt...

-- 
Walt Weber               PHONE: (617) 256-6600 x7004
Apollo Computer          GENIE: W.WEBER
Chelmsford, People's Republic of Massachusetts