Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!ucsd!sdcsvax!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hplabs!motsj1!mcdchg!ddsw1!ddsw1.MCS.COM!karl From: karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM ([Karl Denninger]) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: 2ST-251-1 + 1:1RLL = Success! Message-ID: <[3376.1]karl@ddsw1.comp.ibmpc;1> Date: 18 May 89 22:00:12 GMT References: <10687@orstcs.CS.ORST.EDU> Lines: 32 >Item 3376 (0 responses) by gatesl at romana on Thu 18 May 89 12:36 >[Lee Ryan Gates] Subject: 2ST-251-1 + 1:1RLL = Success! >had to be < 60ns, mine was in the 30-40 range, so no problems. The only >negative information I found was in Computer Shopper in which a guy wrote in >that he had RLL'ed a Miniscribe 3650 (standard MFM drive), then 4 months later >had a software crash in which the drive lost all data. I have gotten respose Yeah, but he probably would have taken that hit in MFM mode too.... The Miniscribe 3650s are known to be pieces of junk, or at least were a year or so back. No idea how they are now; we aren't about to try again. One thing to watch out for -- Northgate used to use these monsters in their machines, with RLL controllers. No idea what they use now. I wonder what their failure rate on these drives has been like. An ST251 is just a ST277R without the higher level certification; if you want the ability to return it to your dealer if there is a problem 6 months down the road get the 277R; they're not that much more expensive ($75 or so), and probably worth the piece of mind. If you already have the ST251, you've nothing to lose. Go for it. Nearly 95% of those we have tried have worked fine, and our experience goes back over a year. No failures yet (save one head crash which decidedly was not due to anything related to the encoding method). -- Karl Denninger (karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM, !ddsw1!karl) Public Access Data Line: [+1 312 566-8911], Voice: [+1 312 566-8910] Macro Computer Solutions, Inc. "Quality Solutions at a Fair Price"