Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!att!ucbvax!pro-xy.UUCP!jlink From: jlink@pro-xy.UUCP (John Link) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple Subject: Re: Using innerdrive with a laser UDC drive (long) Message-ID: <8908090933.AA05608@trout.nosc.mil> Date: 9 Aug 89 00:36:29 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The Internet Lines: 32 Network Comment: to #203 by obsolete!microsoft!brianw%uunet.uu.net >about problems with the Universal Drive Controller. I would say that the UDC never really did support the ][+!! My first experience with it was running a BBS for a local computer club, on a ][+ loaned by one of the members. We bought the UDC and Chinon drive to save money. After trying several drives and a total of three UDC cards, and after the dealer called the company several times, both the dealer and I gave up. He gave the club back its money, and we got an Apple 3.5 "smart" drive and their card. It worked flawlessly. The only good thing to come out of the experience was that I learned how to rebuild blown disks! The combination of ][+, UDC, and Chinon drive was positively vicious. Right now, I am using an "unenhanced" TransWarp, with an enhanced //e. I have a box of fifty 3.5 inch disks that I use to "feed" the UDC/Chinon comlbination. I only use it to back up my BBS hard drive, not for anything else, so it does not get much use. The friend who loaned pro-xy that part of the setup, had a few, but not (according to him) frequent "aw-s***ts" of the nature I am having now. I have found something espeically unique, in that once the UDC eats a disk, it generally can't be reformatted, by either the UDC/Chinon combination, or on my standard 3.5 'dumb' drive hooked to a //gs. This tendency to utterly destroy disks was also noted on the ][+/UDC/Chinon combination two years ago. Our local dealer, who is very knowledgeable, soon quit selling Chinon drives to Apple // users. Lately, I have not noticed any Chinon drives or UDCs in his store. He is not the type to stock stuff that gives trouble, no matter how much money he can make on it. (CPS prices have always been attratactive.) Rewriting the ROM sounds like a good idea. Central Point said, at the time, that they were attempting that themselves. But it does not appear they ever got it done, done correctly, anyway. Glad to hear I am not the only one having these problems.