keithe@tekgvs.GVS.TEK.COM (Keith Ericson) (09/01/88)
In article <8549@cup.portal.com> Sorceress@cup.portal.com writes: >I have had a Miniscribe 6053 for 10 months now. At first, I too was worried >about the noise they make, but you get used to it. It certainly does not seem >to affect the performance of the device. This note is in regard to the Miniscribe 3053 product line, a half-height, 42 Megabyte capcacity drive: Within the last year I supervised the construction of nine (9) 386AT systems into which Miniscribe 3053's were installed. One was DOA (dead on arrival); since then two (2) more have been sent back for repair (and yet to be returned); another one is in my office now to be returned for repair; and another (the fifth) is regularly generating "bad block" messages, even after backup/re-format/restore remedial actions, and I expect it to "crash" before too long. I will not permit the purchase of any more Miniscribe 3053 fixed disk drives in my department based upon this reliability (huh?) performance. They were chosen over other products primarily for access speed. But "stopped" is a heck of a lot slower than "slow." keith (I work for Tektronix; they don't know what I do, I don't know what they do. They don't know what they do!) (The above disclaimer is hereby disclaimed) (Me too.)
slin@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Steven Philip Lin) (09/01/88)
In article <3887@tekgvs.GVS.TEK.COM> keithe@tekgvs.GVS.TEK.COM (Keith Ericson) writes: >In article <8549@cup.portal.com> Sorceress@cup.portal.com writes: >>I have had a Miniscribe 6053 for 10 months now. At first, I too was worried >>about the noise they make. . . > >This note is in regard to the Miniscribe 3053 product line, a >half-height, 42 Megabyte capcacity drive: > >Within the last year I supervised the construction of nine (9) 386AT >systems into which Miniscribe 3053's were installed. One was DOA >(dead on arrival); since then two (2) more have been sent back for >repair. . . I've heard from some people that the Miniscribe 3053 won't work while on its side. Something about the stepper motor or voice coil (whatever they use to move the heads) not being strong enough to move the heads while the unit was sitting sideways. The low power rating seems to lend credibility to this. I beleieve the 3053 uses only approx. 14 watts. A comparable drive, the Seagate 4053, which has the same number of heads and cylinders, as well as avg. access time, consumes 28 watts. And I know for a fact that Seagates have no problem working on its side. Perhaps the Miniscribes don't have enough power to work sideways.
cbenda@unccvax.UUCP (carl m benda) (09/11/88)
In article <5368@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU>, slin@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Steven Philip Lin) writes: > In article <3887@tekgvs.GVS.TEK.COM> keithe@tekgvs.GVS.TEK.COM (Keith Ericson) writes: > >In article <8549@cup.portal.com> Sorceress@cup.portal.com writes: > >>I have had a Miniscribe 6053 for 10 months now. At first, I too was worried > >>about the noise they make. . . > > > >This note is in regard to the Miniscribe 3053 product line, a > >half-height, 42 Megabyte capcacity drive: > > > >Within the last year I supervised the construction of nine (9) 386AT > >systems into which Miniscribe 3053's were installed. One was DOA > >(dead on arrival); since then two (2) more have been sent back for > >repair. . . > > I've heard from some people that the Miniscribe 3053 won't work while > on its side. Something about the stepper motor or voice coil (whatever > they use to move the heads) not being strong enough to move the heads > while the unit was sitting sideways. The low power rating seems to lend > credibility to this. I beleieve the 3053 uses only approx. 14 watts. A > comparable drive, the Seagate 4053, which has the same number of heads > and cylinders, as well as avg. access time, consumes 28 watts. And I > know for a fact that Seagates have no problem working on its side. > Perhaps the Miniscribes don't have enough power to work sideways. The Miniscribe that I use with Microport Unix system VAT is the 6053... (yes that's with a six). I have had the whole AT on its side for 3 months now running continuously and has yet to be audible, sans accessing noises. (Ever here a Rodime? well this one is quieter). Important specs for this drive are: 25ms Average Acess Time. 43 Megabyte 1.625" Height 5.750" Width 8.000" Deep 12.4 Watts Its a super Trouper... I have had no problems with it since it was shipped from Lifetime Memeory Products out of Austin. Why did I buy it? It was the fastest thing going for the money. I paid 569.00. In retrospect I probably would have bought A seagate 4096. But at the time, the prices of those puppies was over 600 dollars. (They are slower too (28ms)). Oh, almost forgot, this disk has 1024 cylinders, 5 heads, and 3 disks.. /Carl cbenda@unccvax