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From: ang@valhalla.ee.rochester.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: RLL Hard Disks
Message-ID: <1541@valhalla.ee.rochester.edu>
Date: 26 Oct 88 13:26:35 GMT
Sender: usenet@valhalla.ee.rochester.edu
Reply-To: ang@ee.rochester.edu (Marcelo Ang)
Organization: URochester Department of Electrical Engineering
Lines: 32

I am planning to buy a Miniscribe 60 MB 1/2 height (61 ms, RLL) from
Compuadd (mail order firm based in Texas) for my Leading Edge
Model M PC. The configuration of my machine is as follows:
   - 8088-2, 640 K RAM         -two floppy drives (no hard disk controller
   - 1 serial, 1 parallel port - CGA card with RGB monitor
   - 135 watt Power supply     
   - hardware switch selectable at 4.77 MHz or 7.16 MHz
   - running Leading Edge MS DOS 2.11
   - ROM Bios Version 2.10 dated 01/01/85, by Mitsubishi Electric 

I have no room for the hard disk so I plan to remove one of my floppy drives.

I need your advice regarding the following:

1. I have recieved information than RLL controllers are VERY unreliable, to
   the extent that they need to be serviced (with the drive) every year.
   Is this true ? I was told to stay way from them and just use the "MFM"
   controllers.

2. Will my ROM bios allow me to access this 60 MB disk? Will there be
   problems with running "partitioning software" with my bios?
   Will I be able to boot from the hard disk?

Any advice/comments will be very much appreciated. Please e-mail me
directly. (I was not able to get any info from Leading Edge since they
don't manufacture this computer anymore -> that's product support for
them!?!?)

Marcelo H. Ang Jr.
Department of Electrical Engineering
ang@galaxy.ee.rochester.edu
ang@ee.rochester.edu