smsmith@hpuxa.ircc.ohio-state.edu (Stephen M. Smith) (03/02/91)
In article <#N4-}H?@rpi.edu> dorsai@iear.arts.rpi.edu (Gregory D. Moncreaff) writes: > i have a concern that perhaps someone of you may be able to answer >involving pc cases and power supplies... > > these days it seems there are an incredible spectra of devices one >may wish to include in ones pc cabinet..... > > where are the pc cases with 11+ drive bays, with ~8 exposed, >were are the power supplis that can accomodate 11 devices? if such a >beast exists, how would it be ventilated? Why would you need such a thing? The only reason you would need this is if you were running a big network with 4 or 5 600+ MB drives! As far as availability, just look through the Computer Shopper. Lots of places have them available. > on a more mundane note, can anyone suggest a good source for >competatively priced tower cases that can accomodate 2 internal 5.25" >full height devices with 3+ exposed 5.25" floppy drive bays; If you can settle for one internal full height (=2 HH) and 4 exposed half height, there is a VERY good case available from CTI (214- 680-8737). This case has had very good reviews in several magazines. You can see a picture of this case on p. 548 of March's Computer Shopper (the picture was accidentally printed in reverse, so hold it up to the mirror :). Many companies also use this case now, so other pictures of it can be seen in the same issue of Computer Shopper (pp. 107, 109, 150, 158, 196, 200, 212, etc.). The inside of this case and the back of it are shown on pp. 309 and 310. Here's a couple of observations made by reviewers: "...This is the best scheme I've seen for balancing a tower--it simply cannot be knocked over without brute force and, even with the power supply and drives at the top of the tower, weight is distributed evenly around a sturdy base, so the machine can't sag or bow at the floor... ....Another thing I like about this tower was the relative ease of removing the cover. You don't have to take off the base, because the cover slides off the top. Even so, tower designs are notorious for covers that stick at the top of the chassis. I didn't have to throw the Touche down and wrestle it to get the cover off. And the inside was cleaner and more accessible than many desktop configurations." (CS, p. 308). "With the proliferation of 33MHz 486-based machines, some manufacturers turn desktop units sideways and call them tower units. It is therefore good to see a manufacturer like Panther Systems pay attention to ergonomic details. The Panther 486/33...is a true tower unit, designed to be used and maintained in an upright position. Any tower unit comes with its own set of trade-offs. For example, since it sits on the floor, you're going to have to bend over to insert floppy disks. With the Panther 486/33, the floppy disk drives are at the top on the unit. In addition, the case is wide enough so that the 5.25-inch floppy drive is mounted horizontally, not vertically as in many tower units. In fact, of the six half-height disk drive bays available, four are accessible through the front of the unit. Of the other two, one holds the hard drive...which doesn't need front panel access. Opening the unit is a breeze. Popping off a rear plastic panel (which has cutouts to accommodate the various ports) reveals the six screws that hold the cover, which then slides off easily. Many other so-called "tower" units require you to lay them flat on a desk to remove screws and cover." (PC Sources, Mar. 1991, p. 282). I'm thinking of buying this tower case with a PC Power and Cooling power supply. Does anybody know where I can get a 250W PC Power and Cooling power supply???? CTI is selling this tower with a 230W UL rated power supply (manufactured by Jabert--I'm not familiar with this company). They quoted me a price of $136 for a quantity of just one. It sounds good to me, but I'm not sure yet about the power supply. Anybody heard of Jabert???? Stephen M. Smith \ + / <smsmith@hpuxa. \+++++/ " #*&<-[89s]*(k#$@-_=//a2$]'+=.(2_&*%>,,@ ircc.ohio-state. \ + / {7%*@,..":27g)-=,#*:.#,/6&1*.4-,l@#9:-) " edu> \ + / BTW, WYSInaWYG \ + / --witty.saying.ARC