jacobson@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (R J Jacobson) (11/28/90)
I am wanting over the next few months to buy a CD ROM drive for my BBS as well as ocassional use for other tasks. I have reread the Article on CD ROM drives from the March 1990 Macuser, and have been looking at recent ads in recent magazines. I have always had an interest in the NEC CDR-35, but unfortunately my BBS runs on an external Hard drive and the NEC drive does not have a pass through but cannot be the last on the SCSI chain. I have heard though that this is soon to be remedied so that the NEC CDR-35 will be useable with with other devices on the SCSI chain. Is this true or not? Anyone heard or have hard facts on this. And even if this is true are there other potential problems that I should be aware of. I want to use the CD-ROM to basically mount a CD ROM disk with tons of PD software for my users (like the Right STuffed or BMUG or NYMUG disks) Has anyone used this drive on the net? If so any comments, words of warning etc would be most appreciated. I am also looking at more expensive drives that were recommended in the MacUser Article. In particular the CD Technology Porta-Drive with the Toshiba 3201-B mechanism looks like a top one to consider. I have seen prices around $650 for it, and one ad from educorp at $599. Anyone seen lower prices? Has anyone used this drive? Can you ad any more pro's or cons beyond those in the MacUser Article. If I cannot get the NEC drive in a version that will work with my external hard drive I am seriously considering this one. With the CD Technology drive I am also interested in learning more about the drive. Does it need to reside in a particular part of the chain. I have a SuperMac Dataframe XP60 if that helps anyone answer this question. I don't want to get a drive that will not work in this configuration since it is primarily for my BBS. I am also open to other suggestions for CD ROM drives. My bottom line is to not spend lots of money, hopefully under $600, and under $500 would be nice (like the NEC drive is) Please respond by Email. Thanks BITNET jacobson@uiucux1 ARPANET jacobson%uiucux1@a.cs.uiuc.edu CSNET jacobson%uiucux1@uiuc.csnet USENET [ihnp4,pur-ee,convex]uiucdcs!uiucuxc!uiucux1!jacobson Russ Jacobson Illinois Geological Survey Champaign, IL 61820 217-244-2425
rick@claris.com (Rick Boarman) (01/16/91)
I'm in the market for a good CD ROM drive. Can anyone suggest some good
ones or some to avoid? What about good sources for the ROMs themselves?
Thanks,
Rick
--
* Rick Boarman * UUCP: {ames,apple,portal,sun,voder}!claris!rick
* Claris Corp. * Internet: rick@claris.com
* * AppleLink: Boarman
Opinions are mine alone and do not reflect Claris policy.Cole Bader (01/17/91)
In article <11398@claris.com> rick@claris.com (Rick Boarman) writes: > >I'm in the market for a good CD ROM drive. Can anyone suggest some good >ones or some to avoid? What about good sources for the ROMs themselves? > ditto for me. Any ideas? --Cole Bader crbader@dorms.princeton.edu ---------------------------
mings@cs.uoregon.edu (Ming Yau So) (01/17/91)
In article <5425@idunno.Princeton.EDU> crbader@dorms.princeton.edu writes: >In article <11398@claris.com> rick@claris.com (Rick Boarman) writes: >> >>I'm in the market for a good CD ROM drive. Can anyone suggest some good >>ones or some to avoid? What about good sources for the ROMs themselves? >> > >ditto for me. Any ideas? > >--Cole Bader >crbader@dorms.princeton.edu >--------------------------- I am now using the CD Tech. PortaDrive and I am very satisfy with it. It uses the Toshiba XM3201 drive mechanism, which is the currently the fastest among all the other CD ROM drives. Besides, it is quiet and small, and CD Tech. has now added a pair of RCA pre-amp. jacks at the back of it, and also added a busy light in it (which has been criticized as a weakness in the old model). This drive has ranked the highest in both MacWorld and MacUser reviews. The only drawback of this drive is the audio control is inadequate, it has only a 3-step volume control, not a turning knob (this is unimportant to me, cause I use my diskman for audio CDs). I got mine from Educorp about a month ago. The price is $599 (incl. SCSI cable), this is possibly the cheapest price I could find, and it's even cheaper than Apple CD ROM drive at educational price ($650 at UO). Disclaimer: I do not have any connection with CD Tech. and Educorp, I am just a satified customer of both companies. ___________________________________________________________________________ Ming Yau So | Macross VS Gundam Internet: mings@cs.uoregon.edu | Which one do you think is better ? AOL: Ming So |------------------------------------
rick@claris.com (Rick Boarman) (01/23/91)
The overwhelming vote goes to the CD Technologies Porta-Drive. I've gotten
nothing but positive comments from about fifteen happy users. On the other
hand, the NEC drives seem to be pretty poor based on the four negative
messages I got.
I eagerly await my CD Tech. drive. It should be here tomorrow...
Thanks for all the mails,
Rick
--
* Rick Boarman * UUCP: {ames,apple,portal,sun,voder}!claris!rick
* Claris Corp. * Internet: rick@claris.com
* * AppleLink: Boarman
Opinions are mine alone and do not reflect Claris policy.haney@tramp.Colorado.EDU (HANEY PATRICIA J) (01/23/91)
In article <11406@claris.com> rick@claris.com (Rick Boarman) writes: >The overwhelming vote goes to the CD Technologies Porta-Drive. I've gotten >nothing but positive comments from about fifteen happy users. On the other >hand, the NEC drives seem to be pretty poor based on the four negative >messages I got. > >I eagerly await my CD Tech. drive. It should be here tomorrow... > >Thanks for all the mails, >Rick > >-- >* Rick Boarman * UUCP: {ames,apple,portal,sun,voder}!claris!rick >* Claris Corp. * Internet: rick@claris.com >* * AppleLink: Boarman >Opinions are mine alone and do not reflect Claris policy. If anyone else is interested in this particular drive, I have a brand new one for sale. $550 gets you the Porta Drive, SCSI cable, terminator (if you need it), and UPS ground shipping paid. I'll throw in some CD-ROM mags too. Reply to: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^ Trish Haney ^ haney@tramp.Colorado.edu ^ "Do androids ^ ^ Undergrad, CU Boulder ^ 305 30th Street ^ dream of ^ ^ "The Mac Helper" ^ Boulder, CO 80303-3321 ^ electric sheep?" ^ ^ Beginner help ^ (303) 494-0309 ^ -Philip K. Dick ^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
wirehead@oxy.edu (David J. Harr) (01/24/91)
Well, the consensus in the MacRags is that the Toshiba mechanism is the best that you can buy, and the latest MacWorld has Mirror Technologies selling it for $697 mail order. I know a couple of people who have bought from Mirror, and they had no particular complaints. I myself am looking at that drive, however, if you buy it and don't like it. Caveit Empty, you know. Or something. "Happiness is being famous for your financial ability to indulge in every kind of excess." --Calvin
amanda@visix.com (Amanda Walker) (01/29/91)
Has anyone had a chance to try the new NEC portable CD-ROM drive? The size and the ability to double as a battery-powered audio CD player make it very attractive, as does the price, but I imagine there's a catch somewhere... -- Amanda Walker Visix Software Inc.
blob@Apple.COM (Brian Bechtel) (01/29/91)
amanda@visix.com (Amanda Walker) writes: >Has anyone had a chance to try the new NEC portable CD-ROM drive? >The size and the ability to double as a battery-powered audio CD >player make it very attractive, as does the price, but I imagine there's >a catch somewhere... The reviews I've seen say that the two things wrong with this drive are poor software (which could be fixed by buying the Optical Media International or Trantor Systems driver) and abysmally slow access time (AVERAGE of 1.5 seconds, compared to ~400 milliseconds on most drives.) --Brian Bechtel blob@apple.com "My opinion, not Apple's"
haney@tramp.Colorado.EDU (HANEY PATRICIA J) (01/30/91)
amanda@visix.com (Amanda Walker) writes: >Has anyone had a chance to try the new NEC portable CD-ROM drive? >The size and the ability to double as a battery-powered audio CD >player make it very attractive, as does the price, but I imagine there's >a catch somewhere... The batteries r using the drive as a portable go in the larger docking piece, therefore when you talk about "a battery-powered audio CD player" you are taing about bring along *both* piecs of the drive to use it for audio, not just the compact detachable drive unit.t's just not the same asbuying a portable CD player. Plus the battery pack sells for $55 and up. We're not talking A cells here. While the NEC drive is the only one that you can play audio CDs on without turning on the computer first, it does have its share of limitations. I know because I had one and sold it - keeping my beloved CDTech drive. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^ Trish Haney ^ haney@tramp.Colorado.edu ^ "Do androids ^ ^ Undergrad, CU Boulder ^ 305 30th Street ^ dream of ^ ^ "The Mac Helper" ^ Boulder, CO 80303-3321 ^ electric sheep?" ^ ^ Beginner help ^ (303) 494-0309 ^ -Philip K. Dick ^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
James.P..Jennings@f31.n343.z1.FIDONET.ORG (James P. Jennings) (02/03/91)
I'm interested in CD-ROM info too. MacConnection sent me some flyers but
I'd like some unbiased opinions. Thanks.
--
James P. Jennings - via FidoNet node 1:105/14
UUCP: ...!{uunet!glacier, ..reed.bitnet}!busker!343!31!James.P..Jennings
INTERNET: James.P..Jennings@f31.n343.z1.FIDONET.ORG