Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!cmcl2!ccnysci!alexis
From: alexis@ccnysci.UUCP (Alexis Rosen)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: What's wrong with Rodimes?
Message-ID: <1692@ccnysci.UUCP>
Date: 23 Apr 89 07:31:29 GMT
References: <911@tasis.utas.oz>
Reply-To: alexis@ccnysci.UUCP (Alexis Rosen)
Organization: City College of New York
Lines: 33

In article <911@tasis.utas.oz> ben@tasis.utas.oz (Ben Lian) writes:
>Sorry to trouble you, but can you tell me if MicroNet sell Wrens in kits
>or fully assembled + software?  Do they cost much?  Does MicroNet advertise
>in the Mac rags?  I am seriously considering getting a IIcx, and having a
>nice fast drive would be nice!

They sell mountings and raw drives, but it's cheaper to buy a complete
unit. The software is very nice and very unspectacular. MicroNet does
advertise in all of the Mac magazines.

>>The Rodimes don't even come close. DON'T put one on your server!!!
>Oh oh....  What's wrong with Rodimes?  I have a 140 Plus and if there are
>real problems with Rodimes then I want something else.  They are not the
>fastest drives around, but my unit hasn't given me any trouble so far
>apart from serious boot problems with my Mac Plus (but that is due to the
>fact that my Plus has the original ROMS in it).  Incidentally, the
>Rodime distributors over here in Australia have a ROM upgrade for the
>1400RX HD assembly which apparently speeds it up considerably on the
>Mac II.

What's wrong? Simple: The Rodimes are slow as molasses, especially when
used on servers. They have a slow access time, poor-to-middling transfer
rates, and long SCSI delays. For personal drives, they're fine.

The big problem with Rodime is that they are in severe financial difficulty.
Still, don't count them out. Their new 3.5" Cobras seem to be pretty
spectacular, and they may save the company. They're certainly fast enough
for a file server (still not as fast as the Wren Runner, though).

---
Alexis Rosen
alexis@ccnysci.{uucp,bitnet}
alexis@rascal.ics.utexas.edu  (last resort)