bruce@voysys.UUCP (Bruce Beare) (04/01/88)
We have an HP9000/350 and need additional disk storage. Given the overpriced nature of HP disk drives, we are looking for other sources. Please send any information you may have about HPIB compatible disk drives via mail, and I will summarize. Thankyou Bruce Beare Voysys Corporation ..!pyramid!ctnews!voysys!bruce
Mike_W_Ryan@cup.portal.com (04/02/88)
REgarding the request for 3rd party disc drives and "overpriced" HP discs. You get what you pay for.NOBODY can support your system like HP. Sometimes you just exchange your lower price for added aggravation dealing with a vendor who knows nothing of HP or your application. Multivendor solutions present this and several other problems. Explore the possibilities, but choose carefully and wisely.
rjn@hpfcmp.HP.COM (Bob Niland) (04/03/88)
re: "We have an HP9000/350 and need additional disk storage. Given the
overpriced nature of HP disk drives, we are looking for other sources."
The prices of the 81 Mb HP 7957A and 131 Mb 7958A were recently dropped.
You should also check out the just-introduced 304 Mb HP7959B and the
7957/58/59S SCSI discs. If these are still "overpriced"...
There are only three non-HP vendors of HP-IB discs that I know of: Bering,
Systems Industries and ISA (in Japan, IEM in the U.S.). Check any
HP-focused trade publication for addresses and phone numbers. I know
nothing about the price, quality, performance or compatibility of these
drives on HP systems. Be sure to compare life-cycle costs (i.e.
maintenance and/or service contract charges). If none of these are
satisfactory...
You could replace the 98262A high-speed HP-IB daughter board in your 350
with the just-introduced 98265A SCSI interface. Thus configured, you have
access to the wide world of SCSI discs. Although the 7950S discs are
complete subsystems, finding a 3rd-party SCSI disc that includes a box,
power supply and ALT2 (as opposed to unshielded ribbon) connector will
provide endless hours of entertainment :-) There is also a small chance that
you will need to mess with the SCSI driver (provided in object *and* source
form for this reason). The rev C boot ROM can load HP-UX from many SCSI
discs (all the ones we have tried, anyway).
You could also snap a 98577A VME card cage on your 350, purchase an ESDI,
SMD or other disc interface, and write a driver (manual now available from
HP). This would probably not be economical, however, and booting from such
a disc would be difficult or impossible.
Welcome to the world of "open systems", coming to a computer near you in
HP-UX release 6.0.
Bob Niland ARPA:rjn%hpfcrjn@hplabs.HP.COM UUCP:[ihnp4|hplabs]!hpfcla!rjnjpederse@encad.Wichita.NCR.COM (John Pedersen) (04/05/88)
In article <1260027@hpfcmp.HP.COM> rjn@hpfcmp.HP.COM (Bob Niland) writes: |>complete subsystems, finding a 3rd-party SCSI disc that includes a box, |>power supply and ALT2 (as opposed to unshielded ribbon) connector will OK you've peaked my curiousity, what is the ALT2 connector. I know the original SCSI connector (ribbon cable looking), the "Centronics" looking connector and the newly proposed high-density connectory, but what is ALT2? -- John.Pedersen@Wichita.NCR.COM NCR Engineering & Manufacturing EMC Engineering Wichita KS 316-636-8837
woof@hpfcda.FC.HP.COM (Steve Wolf) (04/06/88)
> OK you've peaked my curiousity, what is the ALT2 connector. I know the > original SCSI connector (ribbon cable looking), the "Centronics" looking > connector and the newly proposed high-density connectory, but what is ALT2? The SCSI specification describes a nonshielded connector in Section 4.3. This is a typical ribbon-cable connector. Appendix D describes alternatives for shielded connectors. The Alternative 1 connector is a shielded "ribbon cable connector", and the Alternative 2 connector is what you describe as the "Centronics looking connector". Bob abbreviated "Alternative 2" as "ALT2". ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Not an official response of the Hewlett-Packard Company. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Steve Wolf Hewlett-Packard UUCP: {ihnp4|hplabs}!hpfcla!woof Fort Collins, CO ARPA: woof%hpfcda@hplabs.HP.COM