Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!endor!singer
From: singer@endor.harvard.edu (Rich Siegel)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: LaCie Cirrus Hard Disks - mini review
Message-ID: <5127@husc6.harvard.edu>
Date: 16 Aug 88 19:15:29 GMT
Sender: news@husc6.harvard.edu
Reply-To: singer@endor.UUCP (Rich Siegel)
Organization: Symantec/THINK Technologies, Bedford, MA
Lines: 73

At the MacWorld Expo, I was out looking for a hard drive. After some searching,
I decided on a Cirrus 40D hard disk, from LaCie, Ltd.

The drive is a 40MB SCSI drive; the mechanism is an Epson (!) drive with
voice-coil based stepping.

I unfortunately don't have the exact specs at hand, but here are some 
subjective points:

	The disk drive is EXTREMELY quiet. I can not hear the disk running
over my Kensington System Saver and the noise of my keyboard. The drive
is also noticeably faster than my old drive, a DataFrame XP30.

	The construction is not as sturdy as I would like; the case is plastic,
and the drive is unsecured inside the case; instead, the mechanism is screwed
to mounting plates, which in turn fit into grooves inside the case.

	There are no indicator lights on the disk drive for power or access;
however, the activity indicator is implemented in software; the upper left
corner of the screen flashes to indicate disk activity. This would be OK,
except that both TOPS and TMON flash the left-hand corner for purposes
of their own. I would prefer an LED on the drive.

	The software is of good quality - the Silver Lining formatter has
the ability to install drivers on ANY hard disk, not just Cirrus drives;
there is an assortment of drivers, so that you can select the one that
provides fastest transfer and greatest reliability for a given hard disk/CPU
combination. If you carry the disk to a different machine, say, from a Mac
Plus to a Mac II, the drivers default to a handshaking protocol for greatest
reliability.

	It's not necessary to reformat the disk to change the drivers, and you
can test the new ones on the spot before installing them.

	The drive also comes bundled with Silver Server, a remote volume
and modem-sharing utility. I haven't tried it yet.

	The manual is clear and well-written; there's nothing that a careful
read wouldn't uncover. Instructions for removing the internal terminators and
changing the SCSI address are on separate Xerox'd sheets.

	The disk drive also comes with a sturdy carrying case.

On the down side:

	The SCSI address can only be changed by moving jumpers inside the
drive. This is  a bit archaic in the face of software address selection.
Unfortunately, the instructions supplied for changing the address bear
absolutely no relationship to the innards of my disk drive, and I was unable
to find the jumpers for changing the SCSI address.

	Also, the drive uses a nonstandard connection cable: 25-pin on both
ends. This is not much of a problem, since LaCie supplies a cable with the
drive, but the cable is a bit short, and finding 25-pin SCSI cables may prove
to be a bit difficult.


On the whole, I'm pleased with my purchase; the drive is fast and really
quiet, seems reliable (though only time will tell), comes with excellent
software, and my only gripes are minor ones.

The 40MB disk lists at $699, and the prices start at $549 for a 30MB unit.

I have no connection with LaCie, Ltd, except as a satisfied customer.

		--Rich

Rich Siegel
Quality Assurance Technician
THINK Technologies Division, Symantec Corp.
Internet: singer@endor.harvard.edu
UUCP: ..harvard!endor!singer
Phone: (617) 275-4800 x305