mcknight@tusun2.knet.utulsa.edu ( Law) (07/21/90)
John, Generally speaking, you can't add and internal 5.25 drive to a PS/2. You can add an external drive (IBM makes a 360K DSDD, 3rd parties make that and a 1.2M DSHD). Installing the drive adapter is as easy as following the instructions that come with the drive/adapter (instructions, gee, what a concept!). After you install the adapter and connect the drive, run the reference diskette that came with the system, and use the configure option so the system will recognize the drive, then reboot. I've installed several external 5.25" drives here and have had NO problems. Hope this helps. Chuck
CONDON@YaleVM.YCC.Yale.Edu (Christopher M. Condon) (07/23/90)
I've found that the Sysgen Bridgefile external 5.25" floppy drives have worked wonderfully for us. They are less expensive and (MUCH smaller) than the IBM unit 360K unit, and you also get 1,2mb capacity. Most important, the adapter card doesn't take up one of those precious slots (depending on your PS/2, it fits where the B: drive would go). Strangely enough, it is actually more compatible than the IBM unit; the 55SX has problems with the adapter cards for the IBM floppy drive. The Bridgefile also comes with the neat feature of being able to daisy-chin a Bridgetape tape backup unit off it (save another slot!). Great stuff.
kishan_s@jhunix.HCF.JHU.EDU (Sandeep Kishan) (07/24/90)
In article <90203.160347CONDON@YaleVM.YCC.Yale.Edu> CONDON@YaleVM.YCC.Yale.Edu (Christopher M. Condon) writes: >I've found that the Sysgen Bridgefile external 5.25" floppy drives have >worked wonderfully for us. They are less expensive and (MUCH smaller) >than the IBM unit 360K unit, and you also get 1,2mb capacity. Most >important, the adapter card doesn't take up one of those precious slots >(depending on your PS/2, it fits where the B: drive would go). Strangely >enough, it is actually more compatible than the IBM unit; the 55SX has >problems with the adapter cards for the IBM floppy drive. The Bridgefile >also comes with the neat feature of being able to daisy-chin a Bridgetape >tape backup unit off it (save another slot!). Great stuff. I, too, use a Sysgen Bridgefile 5.25" floppy drive and have found it most reliable. On a PS/2 model 50, the drive does not plug into one of the serial com ports directly; however, one must replace the external (IBM- supplied) port covers and replace it with a cover which connects the disk controller (internal) and the cable to the drive. Although you don't lose a serial port as such, you lose one of the external interface slots (e.g. you still have the port, but you cannot have it connect to anything external to the machine via the back of the computer.) Thus, the only limitation of the device is the partial reduction of the serial port versatility. BTW: I don't know what others' experiences have been, but I have found that the Sysgen drive is somewhat unreliable; mine broke down entirely within the one-year warranty period: it would reformat any disk that it attempted to read. This might be a fluke, but the overall construction of the drive does not look to be the best in the world.) Best wishes, Sandeep ////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ----> one way ----> //// Sandeep Kishan kishan@cs.jhu.edu kishan_s@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu, @jhunix.BITNET, @jhunix.UUCP !aplcen!jhunix!kishan_s Dept. of Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 408 Fox Den Lane, Millersville, MD 21108 !aplcen!jhunix!kishan_s