info-mac@uw-beaver (info-mac) (09/01/84)
From: John Clark <clark@rand-unix>
I recently took delivery of a Tecmar 10 Mb fixed hard disk ("MacDrive").
My initial reactions are mixed.
To start with, MacTerminal (-.15x version) will not live with MacDrive,
even on a peaceful coexistence basis. More on that in this mini-review
of MacDrive.
Bad (or at least, not good) news:
1. Mac will not boot from the hard disk. Must initially insert MacDrive
Master floppy (which comes with MacDrive, and is copyable). This has
on it a modified System and Finder. Must then launch an application
from MacDrive and exit, to fool Mac into believing that MacDrive is
startup disk. Can then eject Master floppy and discard dimmed icon.
(Is there any way nonvolatile Mac memory could be used to initiate a
bootstrap to circumvent this??)
2. The directory is of course flat, so that one typically runs out of
directory space long before even half the MacDrive's capacity is used.
I've got about 2 Mb in there; already some Desk Accessories (e.g.,
Calendar) won't work without getting into "File" and doing a memory
compaction via "Debug," and MacDrive won't "eject" for an orderly
shutdown. (Sayeth the manual, "You must 'eject' a fixed disk before
turning off your Macintosh... Failure to 'eject' ... may result in
a loss of files." That sounds ominous, but failure to eject hasn't
had any noticeable ill effects, so far.)
3. There is some strange inefficiency in the MacDrive, that results in
files for which Get Info reports things like, "564 bytes, accounts
for 20K on disk." This apparently means that "10 Mb" isn't really
10 Mb. A minor problem, unless you're bumping the limits of the
hard disk. Much worse, however, the Finder won't copy this "20K"
file to a floppy with, say, 15K of space left.
4. The speedup provided by MacDrive is apparent, but not dramatic.
Without actually timing things, it looks like about a factor of 2
or 3.
5. Trying to run software on MacDrive that wants read a "key" from the
floppy (e.g., Multiplan) can be a losing proposition. Think Tank
and Filevision appear to work OK, but not Multiplan and not Habadex.
For the latter two--when you insert the floppy as instructed, the
Mac spins the floppy awhile, spits it out, and asks you to "Insert
MacDrive." Good luck. There's no escape but to Reset and reboot.
(I know, I know,... there are ways to circumvent the copy protection.
I leave these as exercises for the reader. The average user who
will take things as they are is going to be mightily frustrated by
a piddling detail like this that stops him cold.)
6. Despite the manual's assurances ("Remember, anything you can do with
a Macintosh disk, you can do with MacDrive"), MacTerminal (-0.15x)
and MacDrive don't mix at all. With MacDrive connected--running or
not--MacTerm, whether launched from the winny or the floppy, hangs
just after putting up its menu bar. This is with the comm line
attached to the extra port ("Serial 2") at the back of MacDrive.
And neither this version of MacTerm nor MacDrive will recognize the
Mac's printer port. So to use MacTerm at all, you must disconnect
MacDrive from the Mac altogether. For me, at least, this vitiates
much of MacDrive's potential value.
7. With the coming of appliance computers, and all the hype about ease
of use, it appears we are doomed to suffer appliance manuals.
MacDrive's manual is at the level of, *if it doesn't work, see if it's
plugged in*. Technical information of any kind is absent, including
any mention of the extra serial port. Nothing is said about how to
minimize the effects of the directory size problem, about file and
folder management on a hard disk, or about problems with certain kinds
of software. It is suggested that the user backup the drive
periodically, but neither useful suggestions nor software are
provided to facilitate the process.
Lest this sound too negative, there IS good news:
1. MacDrive appears to be built like a tank. It's easily heavier than
the Mac, and everything about it looks beefy. Drop this baby on your
toe and you'll limp a long time.
2. MacDrive is relatively quiet; after it whines up to speed, neither
the drive nor the fan are obtrusive. The cable is long enough--
several feet--that the MacDrive can be located below the desk or
otherwise out of the way (but with clearance for air vents). With
the fixed drive, only the on/off switch need be accessible.
3. Tecmar's customer service is EXCELLENT. When I called Cleveland to
discuss some of MacDrive's problems, I was immediately connected to
a techie who was courteous, knowledgeable about MacDrive and the Mac,
and willing to talk openly and at length about the problems. His
answers--related below--eased my fears considerably.
Apple's new Finder--whenever it hits the streets--is expected to solve
some of the directory problems. In the meantime, you can conserve
directory space by foregoing some of the good Desktop habits you've
worked so hard to develop; i.e., minimize the use of folders, and keep
some dimmed disks around to dispose of when the Mac gets short on memory
and when you "eject" the hard disk at shutdown.
Tecmar knows about the problems with Multiplan and Habadex, says the fault
is in the software, and has notified Microsoft and Haba Systems.
Apparently, Tecmar is talking to a number of s/w developers to forestall
problems and to assure compatibility with MacDrive. The rep I talked to
said that most developers readily acknowledge the importance of being
compatible with hard disks.
The problem with MacTerm was really what prompted the this posting and the
call to Tecmar. Development of improved MacDrive software is in the final
stages at Tecmar, with release "expected" (not promised) in Sept.
Evidently, it was originally supposed to have been ready in time to be
released with the first hardware shipments, but... The updated s/w will
supposedly recognize the extra serial port on the back of MacDrive, and
allow MacTerm to run thru it. I sure hope so. In the meantime, does
anyone know if later versions of MacTerm (e.g., the latest beta) can be
made to work thru the printer port? I will receive any info or suggestions
with gratitude, and post a summary if warranted.
I didn't discuss the manual explicitly with the Tecmar rep, but a query
about the availability of technical documentation got the reply that a
full-up tech manual is "in preparation." Supposedly, I am on the
distribution list for a copy.
I didn't get around to asking some other obvious questions related to
my other complaints. Perhaps in a future call...
In all, I am guardedly optimistic about the usability of the hard disk,
much as I have been guardedly optimistic about the Mac: with the right
software, it will be a nice thing to have.
--John Clark
clark@rand-unix.arpa