🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <Btr2x3.EtE@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu>  
tagreen@lothario.cica.indiana.edu (Todd A Green) writes:
>
>I highly doubt your bearings will go bad by turning a drive on its
>side...
>I've always heard though, that the disk should be formatted in the
>orientation that it will resting. (Though, this could just be
>folklore). 
>
>Also I'd be more worried about air flow though the slab if you turned
>it on it side.  Anyone know if the slab will still be properly cooled?
>

In a former life as a mechanical engineer who worked at packaging small  
systems, I can tell you that the small form-factor disk drive makers do not  
specify an orientation.  They cannot know how their disks are to be used, and  
the physics of what goes on inside are such that gravity is not significant.   
(That's in a static state.  In a vibrating situation, they can be very  
sensitive to the direction of vibration.)

Cooling is the big issue.  Don't put anything within 3-4 inches (8-10 cm) of a  
forced convection (i.e. fan) system inlet or outlet.  That means if you stand  
it up, don't block the vents.  I don't know how NeXT slabs are cooled.  But it  
is 99% likely they use side vents, which means you need a stand.

NeXT does a great job with mechanical packaging.  They are the best packaging  
examples I have seen in the workstation/PC market.

End of speech.
--J Gregory