mdk@cbnews.ATT.COM (Shadow) (09/10/88)
Can anyone tell me what the difference is between an RLL and non-RLL hard drive system? What does the RLL stand for? What are the differences between the controllers? I've noticed this term used in the advertisements for Frank Hogg Labs when they are discussing the Burke & Burke system. Thanks, Mike King -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UUCP:..!att!cbnews!mdk1 | OS9> iniz .signature Domain: mdk1@cbnews.ATT.COM | OS9> shell i=/.signature& ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
bdw@rwing.UUCP (Brian Wright) (09/14/88)
In article <1129@cbnews.ATT.COM>, mdk@cbnews.ATT.COM (Shadow) writes: > > Can anyone tell me what the difference is between an RLL and non-RLL hard > drive system? What does the RLL stand for? What are the differences > between the controllers? I've noticed this term used in the advertisements > for Frank Hogg Labs when they are discussing the Burke & Burke system. > > Thanks, > Mike King > > -- > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > UUCP:..!att!cbnews!mdk1 | OS9> iniz .signature > Domain: mdk1@cbnews.ATT.COM | OS9> shell i=/.signature& > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ First, you need a basic understanding on the two methods used by the controller. MFM is the older format, used on floppies and hard drives. It provides for about 32 or more (256 byte) sectors per track. RLL is a newer encoding method, that will squeeze up to 48 or more sectors per track. But, in order to use the latter, you must have a hard drive that is certified for RLL encoding. Plus, the price difference isn't that much. I glanced at an issue of Computer Shopper, and Hard Drives International has a 20 megabyte Seagate kit, w/controller and mounting hardware, for $244, and a 30 megabyte kit is $269. The latter uses RLL encoding, and the media is certified for RLL use. I will be ordering my kit from them, since that's the best price that I've seen for complete kits. It's really a godsend that we have Burke & Burke selling an interface that can use IBM XT controllers, since they're so durn common! Hope this helps you out! -- Brian Wright UUCP: {backbones}!uw-beaver!tikal!toybox!rwing!bdw " "!camco!eskimo!bdw "I'd buy that for a dollar!" --Robocop
ugbrent@cs.Buffalo.EDU (Brent LaVelle) (09/17/88)
In article <358@rwing.UUCP> bdw@rwing.UUCP (Brian Wright) writes: per track. But, in order to use the latter, you must have a hard drive that is certified for RLL encoding. Plus, the price difference isn't that much. I glanced at an issue of Computer Shopper, and Hard Drives International has a 20 megabyte Seagate kit, w/controller and mounting hardware, for $244, > and a 30 megabyte kit is $269. The latter uses RLL encoding, and the media > is certified for RLL use. I will be ordering my kit from them, since that's RLL is 1.5 times faster because it is 1.5 times more compressed and the disk goes at the same speed. > the best price that I've seen for complete kits. It's really a godsend that > we have Burke & Burke selling an interface that can use IBM XT controllers, > since they're so durn common! If you use RS-Dos B&B is a really really BAD idea. It is cheaper and less expensive too. The B&B stuff is not very compatable beacuse the os stuff competes with many programs. I would buy the RGB systems over the B&B. The RGB dos fits behind rsdos (in memory) and before super extended basic, so it VERY compatable with many programs. Also it is much eaiser to use. Eg:DIR 42, BACKUP 120 TO 15. It works that well. I could go on and on. I have seen both and the RGB blows away the B&B. If you haven't got the disk yet and want to hear more just yell. - Brent LaVelle
koonce@wish-bone.Berkeley.EDU (tim koonce) (09/17/88)
In article <1278@cs.Buffalo.EDU>, ugbrent@cs.Buffalo.EDU (Brent LaVelle) writes: > If you use RS-Dos B&B is a really really BAD idea. I would buy the RGB > systems > over the B&B. The RGB dos fits behind rsdos (in memory) and before > super extended basic, so it VERY compatable with many programs. > Also it is much eaiser to use. Eg:DIR 42, BACKUP 120 TO 15. It works > that well. I could go on and on. I have seen both and the RGB blows > away the B&B. If you haven't got the disk yet and want to hear more > just yell. > > - Brent LaVelle An interesting bit of information: What you are describing has nothing to do with the hardware, but rather, with the software. Roger Krupski (author of RGBDOS) is, I understand, currently working to get RGBDOS to work with several competing drive systems, including the B&B interface. Also, Chris Burke (author of Hyper I/O) is similarly working to get Hyper I/O to work with hard drive systems other than just the COCO-XT. So, you should soon be able to have the cheap hardware of the COCO-XT interface, with the RSDOS interface of your choice. - Tim Koonce