🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Apr10.153133.24410@newshost.lanl.gov>, tms@twins.lanl.gov writes...
>In article <9APR199221530916@mpx2.lampf.lanl.gov> silbar@mpx2.lampf.lanl.gov  
>(Dick Silbar) writes:
>> QUESTION: is there any good reason why we _shouldn't_ leave Rachel's
>> slab standing in its upright position? 
> 
>Well, back in my PC days (Yes, it was a sad time indeed :-) I wondered the same  
>thing about my AT.  I was told that as long as the hard drive was formatted  
>while it was vertical, everything would be fine.  Had something to do with  
>gravity's effect on the drive heads.  I don't know if this is still true...
> 
>Todd
>PS  Does the extra 2.5 inches make that much difference?  What about a higher  
>chair or lower desk?
>--
From:	DAC::ZOELLER      "CHRIS ZOELLER * ZOELLER@LAMPF.LANL.GOV" 10-APR-1992 10:20:13.19
To:	SMTP%"tms@twins.lanl.gov"
CC:	ZOELLER     
Subj:	Re: Is the NeXTStation Turbo vertically disadvantaged?

>PS  Does the extra 2.5 inches make that much difference?  What about a higher  
>chair or lower desk?

It's not the magnitude of the gravitational force vector, but the
direction it points in that makes the difference. The HD heads are moved
in and out radially on a straight line, When you mount the HD vertically,
the gravitational force acts in a direction that may bend this straight
line movement - the further "out" (towards the center of the disk) the
heads are, the more torque is acting on the head guiding mechanism.
Seagate specifically says in its HD installation manual not to mount
HDs  with their front or rear panel pointing up. A side panel pointing
up is ok (Why this difference - I don't know, maybe because of some head 
mechanism details), but as you already said, they ought to be formatted 
in the position they will be used in. 

Another problem I can see: There are air guiding/cooling fins under-
neath the power supply (at least in the "old" station I have) that
channel air towards the fan and also seem to cool the power supply.
With the slab not sitting on a flat surface, air flow along those
fins will be impaired - may potentially overheat the power supply.

Chris

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