heberlei@iris.ucdavis.edu (Todd) (05/16/89)
I posted a request for HD problems earlier. I also checked with our
local Mac repair guru. Here is a summary of what I found:
Results from mail in survey:
could not find | | could not find |
40 HD on boot | dead 40 HD | 80 HD on boot | dead 80 HD
----------------------------------------------------------
Quantum 14 2 0 1
others 0 2 0 0
* The ones that could not find the 40 HD would usually work after a time
to warm up or after a blow (or firm nudge) was delivered to the disk
(sounds like the, "kick the TV" way of repairing things).
* From what I have heard, the morning boot problems are due to
lubrication (grease) solidifying. This would explain why warming up
the machine helps.
* *Unfortunately*, someone on the net and our local guru said the
"morning boot" problem often becomes worse until complete failure
occurs. Thus those 14 "morning boot" problems could slip over into
the "dead 40 HD" column eventually :-(.
* problems occurred with both Mac IIs and SE/30s.
* Our local guru said he has seen *lots* of HD failures (I did not
include his numbers in the above table), but he did not see any
specific patterns (at least not with the Quantums). He did say that
two different product lines from the same company often had drastic
differences in reliability. (Maybe the 80 HDs *are* better than 40
HDs).
My conclusions: Either we have not mastered the technology yet, or we
have a quality control problem. Can you imagine if our airplanes had a
similar failure rate?
--------------
Todd Heberlein
heberlei@leek.ucdavis.edu 128.120.57.26
heberlei@iris.ucdavis.edu 128.120.57.20
PS. I saw someone else on the net was doing a survey. If you are
reading this and want some of my data, drop me a line.jfm@ruddles.sprl.umich.edu.engin.umich.edu (John F. Mansfield) (05/17/89)
In article <4313@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu> heberlei@iris.ucdavis.edu (Todd) writes: > >I posted a request for HD problems earlier. I also checked with our >local Mac repair guru. Here is a summary of what I found: > >Results from mail in survey: > > could not find | | could not find | > 40 HD on boot | dead 40 HD | 80 HD on boot | dead 80 HD > ---------------------------------------------------------- >Quantum 14 2 0 1 >others 0 2 0 0 > >* The ones that could not find the 40 HD would usually work after a time >to warm up or after a blow (or firm nudge) was delivered to the disk >(sounds like the, "kick the TV" way of repairing things). > Our Materials Science Department just recently received a batch of SE/30s with 40 meg drives and apparaently (this is secondhand know- ledge, so it may not be reliable) the drives were not being recognised at boot up because they were not connected to the Mac! The power supply was conneced but the SCSI connector wasnt! Pretty nifty quality control if this is true. Just thought ya might like to know! Cheers Jfm. John Mansfield University of Michigan North Campus Electron Microbeam Analysis Laboratory 2455 Hayward, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2143. 313-936-3352 Internet: jfm@ruddles.sprl.umich.edu or john_mansfield.um.cc.umich.edu
xdaa374@ut-emx.UUCP (William T. Douglass) (05/17/89)
>>Results from mail in survey: >> >> could not find | | could not find | >> 40 HD on boot | dead 40 HD | 80 HD on boot | dead 80 HD >> ---------------------------------------------------------- >>Quantum 14 2 0 1 >>others 0 2 0 0 We just received as order of 21 Mac IIs (5 for 4 bundle offer.) 6 of them have already died :-(. 1 had a bad Quantum - same symptoms as described earlier. The other 5 have been diagnosed by ComputerLand as defective power supplies. The best guess here is that Apple had a row of bad units from one of their suppliers, and let the defective units through. At least they have been very concerned & indicated great willingness to swap out the bad units. Still, that's not an encouraging percentage. Write if you want, and I'll provide follow-up details. -- Bill Douglass, TCADA "I dreamed I was to take a test, in a Dairy Queen, on another planet." L. Anderson
LaserMan@cup.portal.com (Bob LaserMan Murrow) (05/19/89)
Todd, you posted data on HD drive problems. I called Quantum, they have had 0 reports from the field on this problem???? Also how many from each drive were in the sample... i.e. 4,000 apple drives and 1000 other or what. The data is just data without that number.... I will call Quantum again and talk to a friend there today. Maybe they dont know whats happeneing. I have had the failure to start problem on MicroSci, and other drives but never on a Quantum. I have been told it is a disk lube problem but an indusrty source at a company other than Quantum. My 8 80meg Quantums run flawlessly, All but two of the 4 original DataFrames I bought are dead. I do think that any newer Mfg drive is likely to be better quality than older ie 40 to 80 versions in same chassie due to the trend in the industry to compete based on MTBF. It is good news for us all long term. Bob
tims@starfish.Convergent.COM (Tim Simmons) (05/20/89)
From article <18510@cup.portal.com>, by LaserMan@cup.portal.com (Bob LaserMan Murrow): > Todd, you posted data on HD drive problems. I called Quantum, they have had 0 > reports from the field on this problem???? I know exactly what this problem is. I have a friend who personally worked on this problem with Quantum for a company unrelated to apple and it's products, but the drives are the same. What happend was Quantum used gaskets witha chemical in them that outgasses over time and deposits a film on the surface of the disk. This film causes the heads to stick to the media, when this happens the drive will not spin-up. Quantum is very aware of this problem, and is working hastily to correct it. Although I do not recommend it, you can temporarily solve the problem by tapping on the side of the drive, with a screwdriver handle or somthing of the sort. My opinions are my own
nghiem@ut-emx.UUCP (Alex Nghiem) (05/23/89)
In article <18510@cup.portal.com>, LaserMan@cup.portal.com (Bob LaserMan Murrow) writes: > Todd, you posted data on HD drive problems. I called Quantum, they have had 0 > reports from the field on this problem???? Also how many from each drive were That's funny--I just lost another Quantum HD40. That makes three HD40's that we have lost. The first Quantum died within three weeks of receiving the new Mac II. The replacement Quantum HD40 was dead at the shop and a third Quantum was ordered. This Quantum was dead when I returned from vacation this morning. What's the word from Apple.com about this problem?