Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!ispi!jbayer
From: jbayer@ispi.UUCP (Jonathan Bayer)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Seagates under Unix???  (or best pick)
Message-ID: <1278@ispi.UUCP>
Date: 12 Jan 90 13:52:16 GMT
References: <40970028@hpindda.HP.COM>
Organization: Intelligent Software Products, Inc.
Lines: 39

kmont@hpindda.HP.COM (Kevin Montgomery) writes:

>HiHo,
>	I'm trying to put together a Unix box using BellTech Unix (think
>it's what Intel is using now) for home and have a HP Vectra 386 16MHz with 
>a Seagate multifunction (ST506) controller.  I've heard all sorts of nasty
>things about the Seagate drives from folks and am wondering how much of it
>is true, and if the problems are confined to any particular drive types.
>Since I'll need 80 meg or greater, I'm left with the ST4144, I think.

>	- is anyone using a Seagate under BellTech or SCO Unix?

I have three Seagate drive running, two 4096's (80 megs, full height) and
one 4051 (40 meg, full height).  The 4096's have both been in use for
over two years (one three years) with no problems.  The 4051 is also about
2-3 years old.  I have had no problem with them, although I do have extra
fans blowing on them inside the computer (a custom tower case).  The Seagates
do tend to run hot, and usually will have a bearing failure before an
electronics failure.

The seek time for all of these are about 29-31 milliseconds on the average.

>How do they hold up reliability-wise?  Is seek-time that terrible?  Are
>there other models to go with?  Would it be worth it to trash the controller
>and go ESDI?  Are there better drives just around the corner?  I can stand 
>shelling out up to $800 if it's worth it...

It would make sense to go ESDI if you need the storage, although ESDI is
still more expensive than 506 MFM.  ESDI is usually about twice as fast in
transferring information, and the seek times on ESDI are also usually faster.




JB
-- 
Jonathan Bayer		Intelligent Software Products, Inc.
(201) 245-5922		500 Oakwood Ave.
jbayer@ispi.COM		Roselle Park, NJ   07204