🚀 go-pugleaf

Connecting a typical IBM drive to a Mac illustrates a good portion
of the reason why Mac drives are more expensive.   The typical IBM
drive has a Segate style interface.  The Mac is SCSI.  That means
to connect an IBM drive you have to add a Segate/SCSI conversion board.
IBM drives mount inside the IBM case very easily, however most IBM drives
would have to be in an extenal case to work on a Mac.  This means 
a power supply, and a case.  Mac drives also require the actual driver
software be on the disk - so companies selling drives must either develop
or buy the driver software.

As you can see, when you buy an external drive for the Mac, you may be
paying for the drive, the case, a power supply, a Segate/SCSI conversion
board, and the driver software.

As an example lets see what it would be like putting these parts together
yourself (I have three drives that I assembled this way and they work
very well).

Item						Cost	Vendor
-------------------------------------------------------------
Atasi 3046 (39MB) Refurbished			$275	jb Technologies
5.25" Hard disk case w/power supply		$80	WETEX International
Adaptec 4000A Segate/SCSI board			$60	Timeline, Inc.
Internal Cables					$12	Altex Electronics
Mac SCSI Cable					$10	Altex Electronics
Driver Software: Ephriam Vishniac (Shareware)	-
--------------------------------------------------------------
Total:						$437

I make no claims as to whether the above configuration will work.  In
fact I'm not sure this particular hard disk case has enough room for the
drive and the Adaptec board.  These happened to be the best prices I could
find in a quick skim of Computer Shopper Magazine.  As you can see, even if
you can get the software for a pint of blood (Talk to Mr. Vishniac).
The unit will still cost you $162 more than the cost of the drive itself.
(Not to mention the time it'll take you to put it together)
Also, the above mentioned drive is not new, but is a refurbished drive.

Note> You can save some money ($72 Adaptec board & cables) by buying an
imbedded SCSI drive.  jb Technologies sells the Segate ST251N (42MB)
for $395.



Jeff Calhoun
University of Illinois Computer Science Dept
Rm 222 Digital Computing Lab
1304 W. Springfield, Urbana, IL 61801

calhoun@cs.uiuc.edu         | Contrary to Mrs. Grundy, sex is not sin.
uiucdcs!calhoun             | Contrary to Hugh Hefner, it's not salvation
                            | either.        -Frederick Buechner