Re: Apple IIGS Memory Expansion Card question.

[Eric Smith <eric@brouhaha.com>]

"Michael J. Mahon" <mjmahon@aol.com> writes:
> One of the reasons that there are so many superstitions about IC
> storage is 1) the repeated warnings about ESD damage, and 2) the
> relative robustness of _most_ ICs agains ESD damage.  This causes
> people to regard ESD damage as unavoidable, and that whatever
> practice they have used is the reason that they haven't had
> (too much) of a problem.

Another reason is that ESD damage isn't always immediately catastrophic.
It is not uncommon for a chip to get partially damaged by ESD, such
that it works, but fails later, or such that it works most of the time
but is flaky.  The latter can be incredibly difficult to troubleshoot,
and is IMNSHO by itself sufficient justification for using antistatic
foam, and generally taking more ESD precautions than most people find
necessary.

Eric