| re:< Note 323.0 by DSM::GOULD "Caress of Steel" >
-< hard disks are expensive >-
> Why si it that a 20 MEG hard disk drive for the Atari can cost
> somewhere between $600-$700, when the same hard disk drive for an
> IBM PC might cost only $250 or $300 ?
> My guess is that it is because the IBM has been around longer ??
> Maybe a silly question. But I want a hard disk frive and cannot
> afford one. I went into a store recently and saw several 20 MEG
> hard disk drives for an IBM PC for around $250-$300...maybe they
> were rip offs ?
No, it's not because IBM has been around longer. It's a matter
of competitive markets. There are zillions of PClones around, and
lots of disk vendors. To attach a hard disk to a PClone, you need
just the drive (ST225 20MB now around $250) and a controller (PC
bus to ST-506 type, usually around $100). Many PCs have combo HD/FD
controllers, making it even cheaper.
To put a hard disk on an ST, you need the drive, an ACSI ("DMA")
special adapter (low volume item, around $100 retail) which usually
gives you SCSI, then a SCSI controller, and a SCSI-ST506 controller.
And a power supply, since (unlike a Clone) there's no spare juice
in the ST. Since few companies (Supra, Atari, a couple others)
are in this market, the prices haven't fallen they way PC drives
have. (Of course, the drive is the same; you can attach additional
PC drives to your Supra box, for instance.)
Power with the price. A hard disk ST costs about as much as an
AT clone with hard disk.
|
| Re: .-1
> To put a hard disk on an ST, you need the drive, an ACSI ("DMA")
> special adapter (low volume item, around $100 retail) which usually
> gives you SCSI, then a SCSI controller, and a SCSI-ST506 controller.
All you need is the ACSI adaptor (available from Berkeley Microsystems
or Supra) and a SCSI drive (such as a Xebec 4040) or a SCSI controller
(such as an Adaptec 4070 or Xebec S1410) and an ST506 drive (such
as a Seagate ST225 or a DEC RD54).
The savings in the PC world are:
- No SCSI controller ($150)
- No additional enclosure/power supply ($100)
Since it is perceived to be "more difficult" to put a winchester
disk on your ST, they charge more. Don't buy one. Make your own.
- HBM
|