ngg@bridge2.ESD.3Com.COM (Norman Goodger) (10/11/89)
From the October 10 issue of MacWeek, Cover story...I"ll just post
the main points...
Affected units: Quantum 40 & 80 meg hard drives.
Problem: Increased lubricant viscosity in the hard disk drive arm (HDA)
assy. Apple's sites high humidity.
Solution: An extended repair program that will continue to October 1991.
The fix will replace a ROM on the HDA controller PWA. Users that have
already paid for out-of-warranty repairs will be able to apply to Apple
for reimbursement.
Thats the jist of it, some other comments about the fix, and other comments
about Apple's supposed blindness to the problem...hope this will help
some of you that were affected by this problem...
--
Norm Goodger SysOp - MacInfo BBS @415-795-8862
3Com Corp. Co-SysOp FreeSoft RT - GEnie.
Enterprise Systems Division (I disclaim anything and everything)
UUCP: {3comvax,auspex,sun}!bridge2!ngg Internet: ngg@bridge2.ESD.3Com.COMlong@rainbo.enet.dec.com (Richard Long) (10/11/89)
In article <957@bridge2.ESD.3Com.COM>, ngg@bridge2.ESD.3Com.COM (Norman Goodger) writes... > >From the October 10 issue of MacWeek, Cover story...I"ll just post [deleted text] >Problem: Increased lubricant viscosity in the hard disk drive arm (HDA) >assy. Apple's sites high humidity. > >Solution: An extended repair program that will continue to October 1991. >The fix will replace a ROM on the HDA controller PWA. Users that have [deleted more text] umm...err...maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see how the problem cited above could be solved by a software fix; sounds like a hardware problem to me... rich ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>| mcntsh::long | "This is me." /~~) /~~ / | long@mcntsh.enet.dec.com | "...guess you wouldn't /~~\ /__ /__ | ...!decwrl!mcntsh.enet.dec.com!long | lie to me about a Richard C. Long | long%mcntsh.dec@decwrl.enet.dec.com | thing like that." -MASH
wiechman@athos.rutgers.edu (NightMeower) (10/12/89)
Up to this point in time, my Quantum 40 has worked fine but that of course does not mean that it will continue to do so (Knock on wood). All of this discussion has only said that there are some problems with certain Quantums 40s or 80s. Which ones are at risk? It would be extremely beneficial (sp?) if those people that have had real problems with their Quantums post the serial numbers. That way we could get an idea of which drives have the largest potential for disastor at a later time and we could then send them in for the "fix". You can bet Apple and Quantum aren't going to freely give this information out considering how long it took to finally be recognized as a problem. After this posting, I am certain to have lots of friends at Apple ;-) Kevin -- =========================================================================== Kevin S. Wiechmann arpa: wiechman@rutgers.rutgers.edu This is only a test... for the next sixty seconds...
mikem@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu (Mike Morton) (10/13/89)
wiechman@athos.rutgers.edu (NightMeower) writes: >All of this discussion has only said that there are some problems with >certain Quantums 40s or 80s. Which ones are at risk? Having seen TWO 80Mb drives go south this summer, I've been following this stuff with great interest. I talked with Apple Customer Relations today, and they told me: 1) The new PROM is a fix which prevents problems with the disk lubricant from showing up. (I know zip about hardware; any experts care to comment on whether this is plausible?) I thought the guy said there is also a separate firmware bug which the PROM fixes, but I'm not sure I got this right. [A mailing from Apple Developer Services, dated 3 Oct, says that the PROM fix has nothing to do with the "stiction" problem, which I assume means the lubricant problem. Wonder who to trust here...] 2) Apple dealers know which drive numbers mean bad lubricant, and I assume they'll give you new PROMs, although the person I talked to said that PROMs will probably be in short supply... Meanwhile, my THIRD drive has been making infrequent buzzing noises, similar to the single death-rattle my FIRST one emitted before croaking. It'll be a long time before I buy another Apple-label drive. -- Mike Morton // P.O. Box 11378, Honolulu, HI 96828, (808) 676-6966 HST Internet: mikem@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu (anagrams): Mr. Machine Tool; Ethical Mormon; Chosen Immortal; etc.