Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!pacbell!lll-tis!helios.ee.lbl.gov!pasteur!ucbvax!ucsfcgl!cca.ucsf.edu!rampil
From: rampil@cca.ucsf.edu (Ira Rampil)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: 40+ MB REMOVABLE CARTRIDGE DRIVES - How are they???
Keywords: removable cartridge drives
Message-ID: <1484@ucsfcca.ucsf.edu>
Date: 20 Nov 88 05:24:54 GMT
References: <2653@alliant.Alliant.COM>
Reply-To: rampil@cca.ucsf.edu.UUCP (Ira Rampil)
Organization: Anesthesia Department, UCSF
Lines: 29

I have had two syquest cartridge drives and five cartridges
for about two weeks now.  I use them for carrying large amounts
of data and code from office to home.  They are fast and, so far,
reliable.  SCSI evaluator gives them a read time of about 3800
on my IIx (compare to a Rodime 144 internal = 7900).  I bought
my drives as private label from Software for Less in San Francisco
for $1200. each, but all the vendors of these puppies use the
Syquest 555 drives.  The only difference between the vendors is
the drivers/installation software they provide with the drive.  In
my opinion, the Mass Micro Driver is the best, it is fast and
allows partitioning.  The FWB driver that came with my drives
is 25% slower (read times of 3000) and doesn't handle mount/
dismounts well (Sorry, Norman).  Peripheral Land has a fancy cache
but they "copy protect" their driver by only allowing it to work
with their pre-formatted cartridges (which they charge an arm
and leg for).

I have only two complaints: 1) The cartridges are in very short
supply; and 2) You are really supposed to keep the carts in their
plastic boxes, but there is no reasonable way to label the damn
boxes.  At the prices Syquest is charging, you would think they
could should a little consideration for people who have a couple
carts.

Ira Rampil
Department of Anesthesia
UCSF

disclaimer: Just because I'm happy, doesn't mean I can't complain!