SCSI card options

[Benjamin O Zotto <zotto@nospam.fas.harvard.edu>]

Hi all,
I've enjoyed lurking here recently and catching up on things Apple II since
recently rediscovering these great systems (first code I ever wrote was in
Applesoft).

Anyways, I have recently acquired a IIgs to play around with, and I'm
interested in hard drive possibilities.  Thus two questions:

1. I understand from the FAQ (etc) that the two "real" options for SCSI
interfaces are the RamFAST card and the Apple HS SCSI card.  However, I
was wondering about the older Apple SCSI cards.  I know there are three
revisions and I've heard rev. C being described as "passable" but what about
the older two?  Are they essentially useless?  Would one never bother with
a revA or revB?

2. Seems to me like the only reliable ways (barring a thrift shop find)
to get a hard drive are (1) finding a SCSI card for $150 on ebay, and
then futzing a drive up, or (2) getting on Alltech's waitlist for a Focus
drive.  Are there any other alternatives, or is that really all that's
feasible in this new millenium?

Cheers & Thanks,
Ben Zotto
(remove nospam from the email)