[comp.sys.mac] Mac Plus, System 6.0.4, and ST1096N

jca@pnet01.cts.com (John C. Archambeau) (12/24/89)

I make it a habit to use Mac Pluses to format our hard drives and we just got
a couple of ST1096N's (the new 3.5" 80 Mb Seagate) and it won't work with the
Mac Plus.  The problem is that it won't boot.  I formatted the drives under
Unimac StorWare 1.7 and I called Unimac about the problem and they say it's a
ROM problem with the Mac Plus.  

I'm 99.99% sure that the problem is NOT with the Seagate ST1096N because I
plug the drive into a IIcx and it works as expected.  No problems.  Unimac
also tells me that they have tested StorWare 1.7 and it works with the ST1096N
to their knowledge (and it does on the IIcx).

Another thing that makes me more weary of the Plus is the fact that I can't
select the damn startup device from the control panel with 6.0.4 with any
hard drive configuration.  I have tried doing straight copies of 6.0.4 to the
hard drive and also going through the installer to try to make the damn
startup device control panel document to come up, but no dice.  I can't select
the startup device on a Mac Plus with 6.0.4.  Works on all of the other Macs,
but not one single Plus.

Unimac claims it's a ROM problem with the Plus.  I suspect they're right since
their SCSI driver works on the Mac IIcx.  I will try it on the SE later.  I
realize that the ST1096N is too much of a high end drive to put on a Mac Plus,
but if somebody wants one, they're going to buy one and I know Seagate is
going to eventually weed out the ST296N since a lot of their older products
have been on the chopping block (primarily ST412/506 drives) and it would not
surprise me that the ST296N would go because it's obsolete and replaced by the
ST1096N.

So what now, Apple?  You going to point the finger at Unimac, Seagate, or me
(claiming I installed the damn thing incorrectly)?

I did not want to leave the office for the holiday with a pending verbal
problem with Apple directly as of yet, but I suspect I will have to take it to
Apple if it is indeed a ROM problem.

If anybody else has had this problem, please share your knowledge and wisdom
with me via e-mail, maybe we can put our collective intelligence together and
find a solution.
 
     // JCA

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siegel@endor.harvard.edu (Rich Siegel) (12/26/89)

In article <971@crash.cts.com> jca@pnet01.cts.com (John C. Archambeau) writes:
>I make it a habit to use Mac Pluses to format our hard drives and we just got
>a couple of ST1096N's (the new 3.5" 80 Mb Seagate) and it won't work with the
>Mac Plus.  The problem is that it won't boot.  I formatted the drives under
>Unimac StorWare 1.7 and I called Unimac about the problem and they say it's a
>ROM problem with the Mac Plus.  

	In Mac Pluses with ROM sets that predate the "platinum" ROMs, you'll
be unable to boot some hard disks. If you contact an Apple dealer, you'll
be able to get the ROM upgrade for free, upon return of the old ROMs.

>Another thing that makes me more weary of the Plus is the fact that I can't
>select the damn startup device from the control panel with 6.0.4 with any

	The "Startup Device" cdev is only supported on the SE and up,
which have the additional firmware to support it. The Plus will boot the
SCSI device with the highest ID number, so if you want to change the boot
order, just change the SCSI ID.


R.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Rich Siegel
 Staff Software Developer
 Symantec Corporation, Language Products Group
 Internet: siegel@endor.harvard.edu
 UUCP: ..harvard!endor!siegel

"When someone who makes four hundred and fifty dollars an hour wants to
tell you something for free, it's a good idea to listen."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~