[comp.sys.ibm.pc] RLL disks / pros & cons

ilan343@violet.berkeley.edu (07/12/89)

Sorry if this question has been answered millions of times before,
but here it goes:

I am setting up a 386 clone for home use. I would like to have as large
a hard disk as possible for < $600. The most attractive option I've
seen in adds in the local computer rags is a TOSHIBA MK72PC which
formats at 110MB with an RLL controller.
Is there any counter indications to using RLL drives?
What other drives in this price range are recommended for RLL?
I plan to move to UNIX eventually, do  386 UNIXs support RLL drives?

Thanks for your help
>===================================================================

keithe@tekgvs.LABS.TEK.COM (Keith Ericson) (07/13/89)

In article <26246@agate.BERKELEY.EDU< ilan343@violet.berkeley.edu writes:
<Sorry if this question has been answered millions of times before,
<but here it goes:
<
<I am setting up a 386 clone for home use. I would like to have as large
<a hard disk as possible for < $600. The most attractive option I've
<seen in adds in the local computer rags is a TOSHIBA MK72PC which
<formats at 110MB with an RLL controller.
<Is there any counter indications to using RLL drives?
<What other drives in this price range are recommended for RLL?
<I plan to move to UNIX eventually, do  386 UNIXs support RLL drives?
<
<Thanks for your help

Standard issue around here is a Maxtor XT-1085 connected to an
Adaptec 2372B RLL controller formatted to 1200 or so cylinders.
That yields about 130 Megabytes.  The XT-1085's can be had for around
$580 or so.  The Adaptec controller is about $140.  So for something
in the neighborhood of $720 you get a fast (1:1 interleave, CORE27
tests at 650+Kbytes/sec) hard disk system with a fair-sized capacity.

I run DOS 3.30A and 4.01, AT&T UNIX 5.2.3 and ESIX 3.2.01 all with
no difficulty on this combination.  (The UNIX installs don't even
realize they're going onto an RLL drive.)  Don't ask about XENIX -
I've never used it.

kEITHE

PS - I buy the drives from KIS Computer Center, Milpitas CA,
     (408-942-8088) and the controllers from our local Wyle
     distributor.