moriarty@fluke.UUCP (Jeff Meyer) (08/22/86)
I've been using my SuperMac Dataframe 20 for the last few months without
problem (it's a Mac+ 20MB SCSI drive), and called up the people at SuperMac
the other day to ask about when the software would be release (probably
another month -- no biggie, HFS Backup serves all my needs (err, Mac backup
needs... :-) )). They also mentioned that they will be releasing another
Mac SCSI drive in October called the Supermac Dataframe XB (I believe),
which will run approximately TWICE as fast as a Dataframe. I was skeptical
of this until they mentioned that new chips had to be installed in BOTH the
Mac and the old Dataframe.
Which means that a Dataframe XB is upgradeable from a Dataframe 20. They
mentioned that they wanted to keep their current customer base as happy as
possible, they would be performing upgrades; furthermore, if done before the
middle of October, the dealer you bought if from will perform the upgrade
for $99! Unfortunately, I got it by mail order through ComputerWare in Palo
Alto, and cannot afford to ship both Mac and Dataframe down to them; but
local Dataframe dealers said they would perform the upgrade, but charge for
service time, so it'll probably be closer to $199 for me. However, if you
bought it from a local dealer (which is what SuperMac is trying to insure --
they are dissuading mail order houses from shipping these as much as
possible, I understand), you can get the upgrade for $99 (through the middle
of October). This seems like pretty good support to me...
As to the upgrade, any ideas how they speed it up, by installing chips in
both Mac and Dataframe? DMA?
"He who uses an 8088 will be reincarnated as one."
Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer
ARPA: fluke!moriarty@uw-beaver.ARPA
UUCP: {uw-beaver, sun, allegra, sb6, lbl-csam}!fluke!moriarty
<*> DISCLAIMER: Do what you want with me, but leave my employers alone! <*>congdon@ci-dandelion.UUCP (Robert M. Congdon) (08/25/86)
In article <461@colossus.fluke.UUCP> moriarty@fluke.UUCP (Jeff Meyer) writes: >I've been using my SuperMac Dataframe 20 for the last few months without >problem (it's a Mac+ 20MB SCSI drive), and called up the people at SuperMac Another vote of confidence for the DataFrame. It's been getting good reviews in the press and on the net. I'm getting that much closer to actually buying one :-) >needs... :-) )). They also mentioned that they will be releasing another >Mac SCSI drive in October called the Supermac Dataframe XB (I believe), >which will run approximately TWICE as fast as a Dataframe. I was skeptical >of this until they mentioned that new chips had to be installed in BOTH the >Mac and the old Dataframe. Actually it's the DataFrame XP. I talked to the SuperMac people at the MacWorld Expo in Boston. They had 20 and 40Mb XPs at the show. I spent some time playing with a Mac that had a DataFrame 20 and a 20 XP hooked up to it. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to get a good idea of the speed difference. One thing I thought was a good sign was that a lot of the exhibitors at the show were using DataFrames. Of course I also heard that SuperMac was selling DataFrames for cut-rate prices to exhibitors. On the other hand, would you show your pride and joy on a drive you didn't trust? >As to the upgrade, any ideas how they speed it up, by installing chips in >both Mac and Dataframe? DMA? Their literature claims that they get the speed up by doubling the transfer rate of the SCSI port (600 Kb/sec vs. 330 Kb/sec). They said at the show that this involved adding their own ROM to the Mac (on a board that plugs into the current ROM socket, I believe). So I guess the increased transfer rate is just better software? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert M. Congdon ..{talcott,mit-eddie}!ci-dandelion!congdon ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Cognition, Inc. 900 Tech Park Drive Billerica, MA 01821 (617) 667-4800 -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert M. Congdon ..{talcott,mit-eddie,frog}!ci-dandelion!congdon ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Cognition, Inc. 900 Tech Park Drive Billerica, MA 01821 (617) 667-4800