Re: Replacing the HD in an InnerDrive (IIgs)

[jp1@aol.com (JP1)]

jeffr@bnr.ca (Jeffrey Robertson) writes:

>>"I've got an Applied Ingenuity 42MB InnerDrive in my IIgs.
(I also have an Apple HS SCSI with a couple of drives
and a CDROM.)  I'd like to upgrade the drive in the
InnerDrive to at least 64 MB.

Am I correct in assuming it is an ordinary IDE drive,
and if I can find a larger one, I can just swap them?"<<

No...but there's a better solution.

The ID controller card is pretty much drive-specific, and it expects to
see a 20 or 40 MB drive of a specific "architecture" (not IDE).  (As well,
there at least two ID controller card configurations--the early card was
even more "drive specific" than the later one.)

However, there is no reason why you can't remove the drive itself from the
ID and replace it with the SCSI HD of your choice.  I did that in my ID
back in 1989, installing a 100 MB Conner drive.  (RAMFast controller card.)

There are "physical" considerations to such a swap: You may have to drill
some new mounting holes in the ID/power supply case to accomodate a new
HD...though if the new drive happens to use the same mounting scheme (there
are two in the 3-1/2" HD world), you won't.  (I did.)  Also, you may have
to come up with a special ribbon cable to connect the new HD with your SCSI
controller card, so that you retain connection with your other SCSI drive(s).

John P.