SAGE@LL.LL.MIT.EDU (09/06/89)
My brother's Sanyo MBC-3000 (8" drives) system just failed again, and it does not seem to be worthwhile to spend another couple of hundred dollars to get the boards replaced. Debugging is impossible with that machine because of the asynchronous, dual-processor architecture. Besides, the performance was terrible because of the way that architecture was implemented. The problem is that some important data is stored on double-sided, double-density diskettes in the unknown Sanyo format. I tried reading them with an ATR-8000, which is pretty good at identifying and accepting various 8" formats, but it refuses to read them. Does anyone out there have (or know of someone who has) an MBC-3000? In return for help in converting the data on the diskettes to IBM SSSD standard format I would be willing to send them some of the hardware (such as the PC board or boards) to keep as spares for when their machine dies. I would also entertain any offers for the purchase of this hardware (in case someone wants a couple of 8" DSDD disk drives, a good power supply, a monitor, etc.). If you want to make an offer, you had best be in the greater Boston area. What the MBC-3000 lacks in software, it makes up in hardware. It is a beautifully put-together machine that used plenty of metal. In short, it weighs a ton! I would not even attempt to ship it. -- Jay Sage