[comp.sys.atari.8bit] disk drives, question on...

jhs@MITRE-BEDFORD.ARPA (11/16/87)

Can anyone give me an update on disk drives available for the Atari 8-bitters?
In particular, is the new Atari 5.25-inch drive available yet, and if so,
for what price (and who is selling it)?  Is it a Double Sided drive, by the
way?  Who else makes DS/DD drives (Astra is the only one I have seen)?
Does anybody have any strong recommendations pro or con on any of the SS/DD
drives out there, e.g. Astra, Percom, Indus?  How about recommendations on
DD upgrades for 1050s, e.g. U.S. Doubler or Happy?  If I want to upgrade
a couple of 1050s and also buy one or more new drives, what would be the
best, most compatible approach?

What's the best deal going on hard disks for the 8-bitters?  Has anybody done
a SCSI interface so one can use IBM-PC hard drives?

I trust the answers will be useful to the net at large, so if any answers are
sent to me directly, I will summarize them to the net.  Thanks for any help
anyone can give.

-John Sangster, jhs@mitre-bedford.arpa

cfchiesa@bsu-cs.UUCP (Christopher F. Chiesa) (11/18/87)

In article <8711152323.AA21255@mitre-bedford.ARPA>, jhs@MITRE-BEDFORD.ARPA writes:
> Can anyone give me an update on disk drives available for the Atari
> 8-bitters?

... among other comments.

  To the many people who've replied so far to my earlier posting about trouble
with MY Percom SS/SD drive, Thank You!  I'll summarize to the net soon, when
Finals Week is over here at Ball State. 

  But, as long as you're thinking of answering John S's question above, why
not answer this at the same time:

   If any of you have a Percom drive, where are you getting maintenance,
service, support etc?  I've tried to phone Percom Data at both numbers
(normal and toll-free) listed in my drive manual, but neither is in service
apparently.  Am I correct in assuming Percom Data is OUT OF BUSINESS?  I'd
be especially glad if anyone in Dallas could take a drive past "11220 Page-
mill Rd." and SEE if Percom Data is there...  (The phone number they give,
incidentally, is (214) 340-7081 )

Thanks in advance.

   Chris Chiesa

sullivan@marge.math.binghamton.edu (fred sullivan) (11/19/87)

In article <1530@bsu-cs.UUCP> cfchiesa@bsu-cs.UUCP (Christopher F. Chiesa) writes:
>   If any of you have a Percom drive, where are you getting maintenance,
>service, support etc?  I've tried to phone Percom Data at both numbers

Over a year ago I called Percom and was told to contact

STS
1073 W. Broad St.
Falls Church, VA 22046
(703) 237-2930

for service.  I did, and they fixed my drive, including installation of some
upgrades, for about $75 (it was $70 plus parts).  It was not just alignment
-- the drive was dying whenever it got hot.  My only complaint about their
work is that they took four or five months to do it.  I have no idea whether
they are still in business or whether they still work on the drives.

Fred Sullivan
Department of Mathematical Sciences
State University of New York at Binghamton
Binghamton, New York  13903
Email: sullivan@marge.math.binghamton.edu

kimes@ihlpe.UUCP (11/20/87)

In article <747@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu>, sullivan@marge.math.binghamton.edu (fred sullivan) writes:
> 
> Over a year ago I called Percom and was told to contact
> 
> STS
> 1073 W. Broad St.
> Falls Church, VA 22046
> (703) 237-2930
> 
> for service.  
> 
> Fred Sullivan

I don't know if the following company is the same under a different name
but it is in the same part of the country.

Computer Serviceland
14506-B Lee Rd.
Chantilly, VA 22021
(703)-631-4949

They advertise Percom drives at very good prices (which I won't mention
in deference to our ARPAnet friends).  

They do service work on Percom drives and they have a ROM upgrade kit
to correct a timing problem when they are used with XL/XE series of
Atari computers.  The price is quite reasonable (it is the fourth bill
in ascending order of US currency starting with $1, $5, etc).  I have
recommended to others via Email, but I don't know if anyone has 
actually tried them.


					Kit Kimes  
					AT&T--Information Systems Labs
					...ihnp4!ihlpe!kimes