Re: HD buyer needs advice - Please

[grover@emunix.emich.edu (Grover Thomas)]

In article <2i4mo9$qm1@eis.calstate.edu> gachenb@eis.calstate.edu (Greg R. Achenbach) writes:
>standard SCSI external hard drive, is there any difference between
>the Apple HS and the RAMfast, besides speed of course?  Any

     The biggest points you need to consider are ease-of-use and compat-
ibility with different SCSI devices.  If many different people will be using
the IIgs, you might actually consider the Apple card, since it's fairly
foolproof.


>and he said that they strongly recommend the RAMfast.  He said that
>since the Apple HS is so old, it often doesn't work right with the
>newer mechanisms in their drives.  Is he just feeding me a line to

     Most older style SCSI drives will work fine.  There seem to be
some terminiation problems in newer SCSI and SCSI-2 drives that can
cause compatibility problems.  As long as the drive supplies this power,
everything should be fine.  I believe the RAMfast actually supplies
power which makes it work with a wider variety of peripherals.

>I also noticed that Quality strongly
>recommends the Apple HS over the RAMfast, and that they don't even
>carry the RAMfast anymore.  Is this just a situation of each company

     The impression I get is that QC wants to spend the least amount
of time on Tech Support as possible (well, this makles sense).  In a
choice between two similar products, they tend to carry the one with
which they have the least 'problems', instead of carrying a selection.
The RAMfast is probably the better card, but there is a bunch of settings
that can confuse SCSI beginners.
(QC also seems to play a political game, too, by carrying Seven Hills
 products but not, say, Procyon stuff.)



> 
>Now, on to the drive itself.  TMS appears to have the best prices I
>have found on new drives.  Are they a reputable company?  Are they

    TMS is very reputable, though they do tend to advertise slightly
higher prices on the Apple II stuff than their Mac things.


>external power supply.  The Pro is a zero foot print case and has the
>power supply and a fan inside the case.  Is there any difference

     It's only "zero footprint" if you place it underneath your IIgs.
I personally like the little ones, but the lack of a cooling fan and the
required "power brick" are considerations.

-- 
 __                                                                        __
(__)  Grover Thomas                   InterNet:  grover@emunix.emich.edu  (__)
(__)      "I am the terror that flaps in the night!  I am the             (__) 
(__)            metal key on the sardine can of justice."  -Darkwing Duck (__)