🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <978@midas.UUCP> herbw@midas.UUCP (Herb Weiner) writes:
>
>1. Does the Dataframe XP require any modifications to the mac (plus)?

Nope.

>2. If not, how do they achieve the performance improvement?

They re-wrote the driver software on the mac end, rewrote the software
on the Dataframe end (new ROM must be put into the Dataframe), and
re-format the drive so that the interleave is 1:1 (no interleave)--
this means that an entire track of data is read in one revolution,
as opposed to two or three revolutions.

>3. If the XP does not require mods to the mac, why doesn't SuperMac
>   make only the XP version?  Does it cost more to make, or is it just
>   a marketing strategy?

Marketing strategy.  The new ROMS cost them basically nothing.  Same
mfd. costs in making the older ones or the newer ones.  Thing is,
even w/out the XP speed, the Dataframe is one of the fastest drives
out there.  A 100% speed increase (only on straight data transfers)
is enough for them to make it cost more.

>4. Any info on reliability?

All you are changing is the ROMS & software drivers.  The Dataframe
is just as reliable as the DataframeXP.  The stuff that breaks is
the same--same power supply, etc. etc.  I've found that I get no
more r/w errors on my XP than I did on my unupgraded drive (none in
both cases).  Every time I've had drive problems thus far, it's been
b/c of bad software, and worse reactions from me.

Of all the Dataframes I've seen & worked on (about 15 or so), if
they don't work, they don't work.  If they work, they work.  Only
time one died was b/c of power supply.  They're DOA rate seems to
be higher than some other mfd's drives, but I've found that their
support makes up for it.  My only complaint is that they aren't
doing as well as they might in getting software updates out and about.
Supposedly there's to be a big mailing REAL SOON of new manuals and
software to all registered owners.  REAL SOON was almost a month
ago, but deadlines are deadlines...

Peter
-----						  
Peter "Arrgh" Korn		         Hacker?  Me?  A hacker?  No, actually
korn@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU			 I'm a mac-er.  All's we do is
{decvax,dual,hplabs,sdcsvax,ulysses}!ucbvax!korn            make library calls.