swklassen@rose.uwaterloo.ca (Steven W. Klassen) (12/14/90)
Here is a summary of the info I got regarding adding another drive to my Megafile 60. Some have stated that it is possible to add another drive to my current controller, it looks like it is not the sort of thing that I would want to do. I was hoping that it would be just a matter of opening the case, mounting the drive and plugging in the cable (and possibly setting a dipswitch or two). Instead it seems that it is more complex for a number of reasons: 1) It seems the cable for the second drive has been cut off of the controller, hence a new one would have to be installed. 2) One person mentioned that the Adaptec controller has been modified so that data can not be read from a second drive (some lines have been attached to ground) and these modifications would need to be undone. 3) A new power supply might be needed. 4) I would have to write my own software as HDX will not support the second drive. My question for Atari is: Why has this approach been taken? I would think that the ability to just "plug in" a second drive would be a useful marketing tool. Instead it looks like you have gone to extra expense to ensure that this cannot be done. My reaction is: Too much work/risk for me to undertake. I guess I could purchase a second Megafile but perhaps I should just save my money to buy a better machine. -- Steven W. Klassen University of Waterloo
ekrimen@ecst.csuchico.edu (Ed Krimen) (12/15/90)
swklassen@rose.uwaterloo.ca (Steven W. Klassen) writes: - My question for Atari is: Why has this approach been taken? It's inexpensive. - I would think that the ability to just "plug in" a second drive - would be a useful marketing tool. You forget that this is Atari you're talking about. They don't market hard drives, or STs for that matter. (Actually, a friend of mine, the one that tells me about the $400 386 systems, saw an Atari ST co-op ad one morning during the Today show. Had the dealer's address and phone number at the end.) - My reaction is: Too much work/risk for me to undertake. I guess I - could purchase a second Megafile but perhaps I should just save my - money to buy a better machine. Or a better hard drive. I would think that people who read this net would know better. I recommended an ICD drive to a friend of mine who knows nothing about hard drives, and he went out and bought a Megafile 30 for $500. He could have had a larger drive and better host adapter and software for that price if he would have heeded my recommendation. It boggles my mind when I recommend things to people after they ask me, and they go ahead and do the opposite. -- Ed Krimen ............................................... ||| Video Production Major, California State University, Chico ||| INTERNET: ekrimen@ecst.csuchico.edu FREENET: al661 / | \ SysOp, Fuji BBS: 916-894-1261 FIDONET: 1:119/4.0
ralf@ppcnet.ppc.sub.org (Ralf Sauther) (12/18/90)
swklassen@rose.uwaterloo.ca (Steven W. Klassen) writes: >Here is a summary of the info I got regarding adding another drive >to my Megafile 60. >1) It seems the cable for the second drive has been cut off of > the controller, hence a new one would have to be installed. Yes. The 20-pin-connector for the second harddisk is not soldered in. >3) A new power supply might be needed. If you use a low-power-supply-harddisk, you don't need another power-supply. >4) I would have to write my own software as HDX will not support > the second drive. For the HDX-Software this is true. But: There is a famous harddisk-driver written by Claus Brod (unfortunately NOT PD) which supports a second drive on one MEGAFILE-Controller. >My reaction is: Too much work/risk for me to undertake. I guess >I could purchase a second Megafile but perhaps I should just save >my money to buy a better machine. You need to be experienced in hardware-working for that. But after all modifications, it's running quite well ! I've modified my own MEGAFILE-30- controller and it drives now 2 Seagate-drives without any problems. And the system is running 24-h a day under OS-9 ! Sometimes it takes 4-5 weeks until i must reboot my machine, so the hardware of Atari isn't bad at all ! Gruss Ralf -- Ralf Sauther | ...doitcr!smurf!ppcnet!ralf | ralf@ppcnet.ppc.sub.org | +49 7274 76825 (voice only) |
cadp15@vaxa.strath.ac.uk (12/18/90)
In article <1990Dec14.155637.8235@watdragon.waterloo.edu>, swklassen@rose.uwaterloo.ca (Steven W. Klassen) writes: [deleted stuff...] > My question for Atari is: Why has this approach been taken? I would > think that the ability to just "plug in" a second drive would be > a useful marketing tool. Instead it looks like you have gone to > extra expense to ensure that this cannot be done. > > My reaction is: Too much work/risk for me to undertake. I guess > I could purchase a second Megafile but perhaps I should just save > my money to buy a better machine. > Why not try the Third Coast drives - they do allow you to 'plug in and go' with a second drive from what I've read... -- #include xmas.sig /******************************************************************************* * The Sorcerer man be 'Only visiting this planet' but wishes you a merry * * Christmas and a happy New Year. He can still be found at: * * * * JANET: cadx862@uk.ac.strathclyde.computer-centre-sun * * cadp15 @uk.ac.strathclyde.vaxb * * INTERNET: via nsfnet-relay.ac.uk BITNET: via ukacrl UUCP: via ukc.uucp * * * * or second star to the right and straight on 'till morning. * *******************************************************************************/