macdonald@mtwain.dec.com (Paul MacDonald - CUP/ML - 223-3439) (05/27/88)
>|Subject: Re: Commodore Flame (One Blue and One Brown Eye) >|Enough already! I suppose if you ever blew a capacitor on your motherboard >|you would want a replacement with the same color and case style. You know >|how awful boards can look when all the little caps don't match! I think a number of folks miss the point on this issue of different 2010 drives for the Amiga 2000. The big problem appears to be not with the slight differences in the bezels, but with the lack of understanding of the problem on CBM's part. Case in point - my Amiga 2000 came to me with a Chinon drive installed. [I may have the following part numbers wrong, but you'll get the drift] The part number of the installed drive was FB-1036, with a connector plug on the right side [facing the front of the drive]. The 2010 I purchased from the local dealer was also a Chinon with the model number F-1036E. A slightly different bezel, but what the heck. Unfortunately, the connector for this drive was on the far left of the drive [facing the front of the drive]. The 4 pins for the power connector were opposite the pin layout on the default drive. Well, as one USENET observer pointed out in an earlier reply, the floppy drive cable supplied in the A2000 simply does not reach bewteen the two drives due to the fact that the connectors are on opposing ends of the backs of the drives. A really STUPID design mistake. Sure, the chap from CBM that posted the above reply will say, "Why don't you just switch the two drives?" Well, you can, but unless you are astute enough to know that the power connector is upside down on the default drive, chances are you will blow out the drive by plugging the connector in upside down. By the way, there is no documentation that explains installing or deinstalling the existing drive. The 2010 instructions explain only the connector and pin-outs of the F-1036E type drives. So, for all you folks who jumped the case of the poor guy who was complaining about the two different bezels on his floppy drives, take a step back, and then a closer look at the other issues mentioned here. Its a serious design flaw for the majority of the non-hardware-techie consumers who are trying to plug in a second drive with a cable that doesn't reach! And, if one calls CBM Tech Support, they don't understand the problem. Guess, all their machines have floppy drives with the connectors on the same side. Regards, Paul [I bought two NEC drives - I like the little dust flaps!]
jesup@cbmvax.UUCP (Randell Jesup) (05/31/88)
In article <8805271410.AA14234@decwrl.dec.com> macdonald@mtwain.dec.com (Paul MacDonald - CUP/ML - 223-3439) writes: >Unfortunately, >the connector for this drive was on the far left of the drive [facing the >front of the drive]. The 4 pins for the power connector were opposite the >pin layout on the default drive. ... >does not reach bewteen the two drives due to the fact that the connectors >are on opposing ends of the backs of the drives. A really STUPID design >mistake. Sure, the chap from CBM that posted the above reply will say, >"Why don't you just switch the two drives?" Well, you can, but unless you >are astute enough to know that the power connector is upside down on the >default drive, chances are you will blow out the drive by plugging the >connector in upside down. I'm not the commodore person you were referring to, but I have a small correction to make. The power connectors for the floppies can't be plugged in backwards, I just checked to make sure. >Its a serious design >flaw for the majority of the non-hardware-techie consumers who are trying >to plug in a second drive with a cable that doesn't reach! I would certainly agree with that. Randell Jesup {uunet|ihnp4|allegra}!cbmvax!jesup
campbell@cbmvax.UUCP (John Campbell SW) (05/31/88)
In article <8805271410.AA14234@decwrl.dec.com> macdonald@mtwain.dec.com (Paul MacDonald - CUP/ML - 223-3439) writes: >>|Subject: Re: Commodore Flame (One Blue and One Brown Eye) > >>|Enough already! I suppose if you ever blew a capacitor on your motherboard >>|you would want a replacement with the same color and case style. You know >>|how awful boards can look when all the little caps don't match! > > >I think a number of folks miss the point on this issue of different 2010 >drives for the Amiga 2000. The big problem appears to be not with the slight >differences in the bezels, but with the lack of understanding of the >problem on CBM's part. Case in point - my Amiga 2000 came to me with a, > >Regards, > >Paul We at Commodore do understand that there have been mistakes, and we are not unsympathetic to those customers who are upset by the differences in the bezels. However, it is important to realize that for the most part, the people on this net are in software development, engineering, CATS, and various testing functions. Our reason for being on the net is to help software developers any way we can so that they can be successful and so that great software will be available on the Amiga. (I admit this is not entirely altruistic, your success breeds Commodore's success). The comments that have been made have been passed on to the departments that are involved. Now it is time to end this thread and get on with passing valuable information and lively insights. We all have a lot of work to do, and we really do understand. John
ericb@athertn.Atherton.COM (Eric Black) (06/01/88)
In article <3894@cbmvax.UUCP> jesup@cbmvax.UUCP (Randell Jesup) writes: > > [...] > I'm not the commodore person you were referring to, but I have >a small correction to make. The power connectors for the floppies can't >be plugged in backwards, I just checked to make sure. > > [...] >Randell Jesup {uunet|ihnp4|allegra}!cbmvax!jesup They sure *can* be plugged in backwards! True, there is an attempt to make it difficult to do so (the pins are offset to one side of the plastic plug, and there is an "almost latch" on one side), but it *is* possible to jam it in backwards. The plastic is soft, and the pins easily bent. Be gentle when you plug it in, and make sure you choose the easier of the two ways it could go. -- Eric Black "Garbage in, Gospel out" Atherton Technology, 1333 Bordeaux Dr., Sunnyvale, CA, 94089 UUCP: {sun,decwrl,hpda,pyramid}!athertn!ericb Domainist: ericb@Atherton.COM
dale@boing.UUCP (Dale Luck) (06/02/88)
In article <3894@cbmvax.UUCP> jesup@cbmvax.UUCP (Randell Jesup) writes: >In <8805271410.AA14234@decwrl.dec.com> (Paul MacDonald ) writes: >>the connector for this drive was on the far left of the drive [facing the >>front of the drive]. The 4 pins for the power connector were opposite the >>pin layout on the default drive. >... >>does not reach bewteen the two drives due to the fact that the connectors >>are on opposing ends of the backs of the drives. A really STUPID design >>mistake. Sure, the chap from CBM that posted the above reply will say, >>"Why don't you just switch the two drives?" Well, you can, but unless you >>are astute enough to know that the power connector is upside down on the >>default drive, chances are you will blow out the drive by plugging the >>connector in upside down. > > I'm not the commodore person you were referring to, but I have >a small correction to make. The power connectors for the floppies can't >be plugged in backwards, I just checked to make sure. Really? I tried it also and was easily successful in extracting a puff of smoke from that disk drive. Turns out that when are looking down from the top you don't notice that the keying for the power connector on these floppys is completely inadequate. There is no additional force necessary to push the power connector in. You just have to know that the side with the exposed metal is the side that goes agaist the plastic tab. But when you've already stretched the ribbon cable as far as it will go it is not easy to see the orientation of the power connector. > >>Its a serious design >>flaw for the majority of the non-hardware-techie consumers who are trying >>to plug in a second drive with a cable that doesn't reach! > > I would certainly agree with that. > Actually I don't think it was a design flaw as much as a lack of attention to details and not trying it out before approving the new drive for cbm distribution. Cbm does not make drives, they buy then ready built. Apparently one of the specs did not cover the exact placement of the ribbon cable and the power connector, nor the look of the bezel for the drive. I hope they get someone in there that can do the job right cause who ever is doing it now is certainly not doing it right. Dale Luck
jesup@cbmvax.UUCP (Randell Jesup) (06/03/88)
In article <315@boing.UUCP> dale@boing.UUCP (Dale Luck) writes: >In article <3894@cbmvax.UUCP> jesup@cbmvax.UUCP (Randell Jesup) writes: >>a small correction to make. The power connectors for the floppies can't >>be plugged in backwards, I just checked to make sure. >Really? I tried it also and was easily successful in extracting a puff of >smoke from that disk drive. Turns out that when are looking down from >the top you don't notice that the keying for the power connector on these >floppys is completely inadequate. There is no additional force necessary >to push the power connector in. Hmmm, with my drives it simply can't be done (except by EXTREME application of force). The drives are Matsushita, may others are different (the base problem here). It boggles the mind that a drive manufacturer wouldn't key the power connector. You'd think the companies that make drives would try to keep fairly similar specs/physical layout. But that would make life too easy. :-)
johnm@trsvax.UUCP (06/03/88)
[Stuff Deleted] >>"Why don't you just switch the two drives?" Well, you can, but unless you >>are astute enough to know that the power connector is upside down on the >>default drive, chances are you will blow out the drive by plugging the >>connector in upside down. > I'm not the commodore person you were referring to, but I have >a small correction to make. The power connectors for the floppies can't >be plugged in backwards, I just checked to make sure. [More stuff deleted] >Randell Jesup {uunet|ihnp4|allegra}!cbmvax!jesup I hate to burst your bubble pal but you CAN do just that. In fact I made that and just about every other mistake possible when I was installing my new internal drive into my 2000. It's amazing that I didn't damage the thing. John Munsch