Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!unisoft!bdt!unax
From: bbsuser@bdt.UUCP (HENRY KWAN)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: MORE HARD DIVE DISCUSSION
Message-ID: <574@bdt.UUCP>
Date: 16 May 89 09:00:49 GMT
Sender: unax@bdt.UUCP
Reply-To: bbsuser@bdt.UUCP (HENRY KWAN)
Organization: Beckemeyer Development Tools BBS
Lines: 22

> 
> Now, the questions.  What are the advantages/disadvantages to using a
> SCSI PC drive, rather than an MFM or RLL drive?  I have seen
> descriptions of how to put together a hard drive with one of the latter
> two, and it seemed more complicated somehow...I seem to remember having
> to deal with more than one controller card, or something like that.
> But, are the MFM and/or RLL drives better? Do they cost less?  Info on
> any of these topics would be greatly appreciated.
> 

SCSI drives are faster than ST506/412 drives when used with the ST.  On ICD's
RATEHD program, ST506/412 (with Adaptec controllers) never got anything higher
than a 375 (+/-) Kps rating while SCSI drives got far higher ratings. 
(Seagate SCSI drives got 575 (+/-) Kps while Imprimis SCSI drives got 1,000
(+/-) Kps ratings.)  The downside is that SCSI drives generally cost a bit
more than ST506/412 drives.  Another plus for SCSI drives is that you can
chain up to seven drives together.  Finally, SCSI drives are easier to handle
since it's in one nice and compact package.

Henry Kwan -=- ...{claris|ucsfcca}!wet!logic

"I don't know what I'm blattering about but I'm blattering nevertheless..."