🚀 go-pugleaf

> I just got the ROM and disk drive upgrade for my 512K Mac.  Like many others,
> I find that I now have to deal with disks that won't read in my 400K drive if
> I want to take advantage of the extra storage space.

> I tried discussing the option of purchasing a "spare" 800K drive and putting
> it in myself

Not surprising.  It isn't a product, and I certainly wouldn't want to be
forced to support it, which if I sold it would be expected.

On the GOOD side, you can get 800K disk drives pretty cheaply.  ComputerWare
in Palo Alto has the DataSpace 800K for $219.  If you sell your old external
(I just did, so there is a market) you can get the 800K for a very small
differential, assuming your external is in good shape.

What I did, personally, was buy a hard disk BEFORE the ROM upgrade.  The
Paradise HD makes it trivial for me to run RAM HFS, so I'm on 5.3/3.2 and
the hard disk 20 software.  I don't have the speed advantages of the new
ROM, I don't have the 800K floppy, but frankly the only thing that kept
bumping into my work was running out of floppy, so this was the best
alternative.  After I upgrade the ROM, I'll get 2 Meg into MacDuff and
really be happy...

> Since I use the Mac mostly for keeping a family business' records and as a
> semi-intelligent workstation, I don't know that it's really worth $1000 for
> decent hard disk.

If all your looking for is a big floppy, try the Paradise.  It isn't as fast
as a SCSI, but it's MUCH faster than the 400K things.  Chances are 20 Meg is
overkill -- if you aren't sure you NEED a HD, you don't need it, so you can
get one for around $600.  You have no idea how much nicer a HD makes a Mac,
even a 'slow' and 'small' one.

-- 
:From the lofty realms of Castle Plaid:          Chuq Von Rospach 
chuq%plaid@sun.COM	FidoNet: 125/84		 CompuServe: 73317,635
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Dessert is probably the most important stage of the meal, since it will be
the last thing your guests remember before they pass out all over the table.
					-- The Anarchist Cookbook