FXDDR@ALASKA.BITNET (10/07/87)
I see in ST Applications that Supra is announcing a 10 MB floppy disk drive for $899. The subject came up in some of the other forums... they claim 5.25" disks that cost about $20 each will be used. Do the disks use the same mechanically inferior packaging as regular 5.25" disks (ie, flexible sleeves, exposed disk surface, and poorly (if at all) re-inforced holes)? Given the costs, the advantage over hard disk sounds kind of marginal, especially if they use the same self-destructing disk construction that I came to know and loathe in the old days. (Actually, I just lost a couple of PC disks because I took them home in my pack sack. I've carried ST disks around in the pack for weeks with no ill effect.) Surely with 10 MB at stake they would design a casing that is a bit more robust. No? Has anybody actually seen the Supra drive (or the similar devices coming out for other machines)? Or do any of them actually exist yet? The next question is whether all the 10 meg drives will use a compatible format. I think the Supra announcement said that it would read PC and AT disks as well as the 10 meg variety. If the 10 meg disks are interchangeable among brands, that would be a major selling point. I heard that a Mac version is in the works. Could it be (gasp) that Mac users will finally have something akin to a standard disk format at their disposal? Egad. No, I'm sure they'll think of some way to make sure nobody can read their disks...maybe DES encryption. Don FXDDR@ALASKA.bitnet
hakanson@mist.cs.orst.edu (Marion Hakanson) (10/09/87)
In article <8710080142.AA20551@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> FXDDR@ALASKA.BITNET writes: >I see in ST Applications that Supra is announcing a 10 MB floppy disk >drive for $899. The subject came up in some of the other forums... >they claim 5.25" disks that cost about $20 each will be used. Do >the disks use the same mechanically inferior packaging as regular >5.25" disks (ie, flexible sleeves, exposed disk surface, and poorly >(if at all) re-inforced holes)? The floppies look "normal" except for the sticker that gives an outrageously large tracks per inch figure. >Given the costs, the advantage over hard disk sounds kind of marginal, I asked them "why" too (esp. regarding the wear), and was told that they were intended mostly as an inexpensive backup device (compared to cartridge tapes, or 50 normal floppies, etc.). Supposedly, the access time is pretty fast, even on a par with some old slow 10M hard drives. >Has anybody actually seen the Supra drive (or the similar devices coming >out for other machines)? Or do any of them actually exist yet? > . . . >Don >FXDDR@ALASKA.bitnet Yes, I saw a prototype from Supra at an ST Users Club meeting here last month (Corvallis is about 10 miles from Albany, OR, where Supra is located). This was prior to the release notice, so an engineer from Supra was there showing stuff off. Most people were busy playing with the Mega ST-4, so not much attention was given to the 10M floppy. If I had a 60M hard drive to back up, then I might consider it. Marion Hakanson Domain: hakanson@cs.orst.edu CSNET : hakanson%cs.orst.edu@relay.cs.net UUCP : {hp-pcd,tektronix}!orstcs!hakanson
hah@mipon3.intel.com (Hans Hansen) (10/11/87)
In article <449@orstcs.CS.ORST.EDU> hakanson@mist.UUCP (Marion Hakanson) writes: > >I asked them "why" too (esp. regarding the wear), and was told that >they were intended mostly as an inexpensive backup device (compared to >cartridge tapes, or 50 normal floppies, etc.). Supposedly, the access >time is pretty fast, even on a par with some old slow 10M hard drives. ^^^ ^^^^ Actually they are right up there with the latest hard disks at about 35ms access. These babies are not just for HD backup! Hans