winston@cubsvax.UUCP (Ken Winston) (05/20/86)
A while back there was some discussion about this but it seemed to be inconclusive. The DEC RD52 and RD53 disks are more or less equivalent to disks you can buy for IBM PCs. Of course they are a lot cheaper if you buy them for PCs, for example from the kinds of places that advertise in the back of Byte magazine. It's the "more or less" part that causes problems. DEC buys the Micropolis 1325---which also is used on PCs---and calls it an RD53 and charges some outrageous amount for it. I called Micropolis and they confirmed that the 1325 was the RD53. However, they person I talked to volunteered the information that "You couldn't just go out and buy a 1325 and use it as an RD53." When I asked why, he said "There are DEC specials in the RD53." When I asked what they were, he said he couldn't (that is, wouldn't) tell me. Is this true? Let me repeat the earlier question: Has anyone put such a non-DEC disk on a VAX? Ken Winston
browne@savax.UUCP (Duff Browne) (05/22/86)
> I called Micropolis and they confirmed that the 1325 was the RD53. However, > they person I talked to volunteered the information that "You couldn't > just go out and buy a 1325 and use it as an RD53." When I asked why, he > said "There are DEC specials in the RD53." When I asked what they were, > he said he couldn't (that is, wouldn't) tell me. > > Is this true? Let me repeat the earlier question: Has anyone put such > a non-DEC disk on a VAX? > > Ken Winston DEC formats their disks in a certain manner, and the only folks with the format program are the field service personnel. If you use DEC's RQDX-2 or 3 controller, you must use the disks formatted to DEC's specifications. Too bad. On the other hand, you can go out and buy a Fujitsu 2246 (>170 Meg) for about $2800, and the emulex disk controller to go with it, for about $1200, along with all the driver software, etc. It sure beats DEC's equipment, since the access times are 2x or more faster!! Duff Browne