Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!ncc!alberta!att-ih!pacbell!hoptoad!dasys1!pechter
From: pechter@dasys1.UUCP (Bill Pechter)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Hard Cards
Message-ID: <4191@dasys1.UUCP>
Date: 30 Apr 88 14:20:18 GMT
References: <301@pierce.UUCP>
Reply-To: pechter@dasys1.UUCP (Bill Pechter)
Organization: Datamerica Systems, NYC
Lines: 26

In article <301@pierce.UUCP> tomd@pierce.UUCP (TJ Dineen) writes:
>Does anyone out there have experience with hard-cards ?
>
>Is it better to install a hard card  or  the internal hard drive
>by replacing drive 'b:' (a floopy) ?

In reality there is no difference between the two ways to go.  Many of the 
inexpensive hard cards (LaPine, Western Digital, Osicomm) use a standard WD
1002-WX1 controller with a 3 1/2 inch drive screwed to a card shaped frame.

By using the card you are avoiding the mounting problems which you would have
installing a hard drive in the place of a floppy.  You don't run into 3 mm
Metric thread floppy screws not mating with the threads on the hard disk.
You don't lose the floppy either so commercial backup programs will alternate
between the A and B drives on backup and restore.  When the card runs out of
space (Like mine did) you can just add a second drive internally where the 
floppy was or externally from the WD card.  The Plus hardcard and some of the
other more expensive ones may not allow you to do this.

 

-- 
Bill Pechter          {sun!hoptoad,cmcl2!phri}!dasys1!pechter
Lakewood Microsystems, 103 Governors Road, Lakewood NJ 08701
			(201)370-0709 Evenings
Big Electric Cat Public Access Unix, New York, NY