Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mandrill!gatech!ncar!boulder!spot!cochrane
From: cochrane@spot.Colorado.EDU (COCHRANE JIM T)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Supra hard drives
Summary: summary of responses to hd query
Keywords: Supra, hard drive, reliability
Message-ID: <6944@sigi.Colorado.EDU>
Date: 6 Jul 88 01:24:58 GMT
Sender: news@sigi.Colorado.EDU
Reply-To: cochrane@spot.Colorado.EDU (COCHRANE JIM T)
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Lines: 146







Thanks to everyone who mailed a response to my query about Supra hard
drives!  I ordered a Supra 20 meg, which arrived Thursday, and it's
marvelous.  (One small problem: the new model has a clock, but there's
no documentation and I haven't been able to figure out how to have the
software included with the drive automatically set the system clock when
turning on the ST (I assume that's what it's supposed to do).  If any-
one who has the new Supra model has figured out how to do this I (and
probably some other new Supra owners) would appreciate hearing the
details - thanks).

For the benefit of those who may be considering buying a Supra, I am
including the replies sent to me (slightly edited for space).  If,
after reading these, you suspect that I have excluded the negative
responses - I didn't; there weren't any.



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From: leo@cs.Buffalo.EDU (Leo Wilson)


I have had mixed experiences with Supra 20MB drives, so I thought my pennies
might be useful despite the zillion responses your request is going to
generate.

First, my own drive: Supra 20MB (really miniscribe 3.5" 20MB), no daisy-chain
plug: Noisy, but it works like a champ. I've had it for > 2 years, and it has
treated me right thus far. I treat it like a hard drive, meaning: I don't
power it off or spin it down. Never. Well, a couple of times, but that's it.
I don't jiggle or jostle it at all. It stays in one place, hasn't moved a
millimeter since buying it. No problems. It IS noisy, though.

Second, my last employer's drives: Jeeze, they went through Supra 20MB drives
like a spoiled kid goes through cotton candy at an amusement park. They were
convinced (despite my admonishments) that they should shut them off at night,
they kept them on jiggly typewriter tables, and they'd shove them around while
running to accomadate papers they were working on. They drives lasted from
four to eight months each.

So, here's what I suggest: If your situation is like mine, get a Supra. Nice
drive, albeit a little NOISY. If your situation is like theirs, get an Astra
drive. It's designed to be more physically robust. Seems a little quieter,
too. Looks worth the extra $$ for the built in DS-DD floppy.

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From: John R. Dunning 

I bought a Supra 20 last fall, and it's worked flawlessly ever since.  I
heartily recommend it, esp in comparison to the Atari drivers.  I know,
they're built out of the same kinds of components, but I've heard of a
lot more SH204s going bad than Supras.  My only complaint is that I
overflowed the thing too fast; after a while 20 Meg doesn't seem very
big...

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From: Marion Hakanson 

I've had mine (the older 5-1/4" 20M drive, not the new 3-1/2" one)
for two years.  No problems so far.  Their software is solid, too.

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From: rutgers!sunybcs!sbcs!lean@ncar.UCAR.EDU

I ordered the 20Meg SUpra drive more than 4 months ago. The first one that i
got has a minor problem. I called up Supra the very day and was advised to
send it back. I did and a new one was sent back to me within 6 days (i'm
on east coast. supra is on west coast).   Very fast turnaround. I was 
happy.
 I've used that drive since and haven't had the slightest problem.
However, the fan makes a little noise (as in some frives). Do see and
listen to one personally.  I have no regrets buying it.


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From: Scott R. Chilcote 


   I regularly use a BBS in Norfolk, VA that is run on an ST with a 20 Meg
Supra Hard Drive.  This drive has been run 24 hours a day for a year and a
half, and has suffered no mechanical problems.
 
   Two things:  Supra drives, for the last year, have usually come with a
plug on the back for an additional drive.  You can use an inexpensive bare
drive since the controller can handle two simultaneously.  Make sure your
drive has one if your interested.
 
   Supra can make goofs now and then.  The store that runs the board received
one Supra HD that had an unshielded cable--and did not work properly at all!
After calling them the cable and interface were replaced quickly and at Supra's
expense.  They claimed that it had been shipped "by mistake."

   A couple of times files on the BBS have been found to be glitched, but this
is not the fault of the drive.  Some programs, such as games made to be instal-
led on hard drives, do not handle them well.  Small FAT errors can affect other
programs and cause headaches.  The only cure is to keep regular backups in a 
safe place.  Even IBM drive owners have those problems!

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From: Dave Allum 


I've had one for a year now and have had no trouble with it.
It appears that not all Supra 20M units have the same drive,
mine is a fanless MiniScribe 3 1/2", so it's worth checking
what they are currently shipping. The supplied utilities -
formatter, sector editor, autoboot etc. - all work well. All
in all I have no complaints. At the time I bought it it was
cheaper that the Atari equivalent (and a *lot* smaller), that
difference may no longer apply.

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From: stag!dynasoft!john (John Stanley)

  Jim, I've been using a Supra-30meg hard disk for close to two
years.  The only problems I've had were when I've parked the heads,
turned off the drive, turned the drive back on, and then (without
rebooting the ST) tried to access the drive before it had finished
powering-up.  Needless to say, this was my own damned fault for
trying to get fancy with my use of the hard disk.  As long as I wait
until it's fully awake before I try accessing it, there's no problem.
Needless to mention since this controller is probably almost three
years old, Supra may have fixed even this problem by now.

   With the exception mentioned above, I've been very happy with my
Supra drive.

  BTW, last time I checked, it was not possible to cycle the Atari
hard disk off and then on and then access the drive without rebooting
the ST.  This is one distinct advantage of the Supra.  It allows me
to do 90% of my programming without having the distraction of a hard
disk whurring in the background and still allows me to easily get to
tools on the hard disk if I need them.