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From: botton@rmtc.Central.Sun.COM (Brian Botton)
Subject: Re: Driver for Adaptec 274xT
Message-ID: <1993Nov17.174952.20401@rmtc.Central.Sun.COM>
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
References: <1993Nov9.163202.2387@chpc.org> <CGDFu3.477@tfs.com> <2cavef$adl@mckinley.cit.macalstr.edu> <CGLJGA.KLL@world.std.com>
Date: Wed, 17 Nov 93 17:49:52 GMT
Lines: 98
In article <CGLJGA.KLL@world.std.com>, HD Associates <hd@world.std.com> wrote:
>In article <2cavef$adl@mckinley.cit.macalstr.edu>,
>Scott Ferris <sferris@budapest.math.macalstr.edu> wrote:
>>Julian Elischer (julian@TFS.COM) wrote:
>>> In article <1993Nov9.163202.2387@chpc.org>, Heas <heas@chpc.org> wrote:
>>> >hi all,
>>
>> With slow doc writers, perhaps. They also seems to have problems
>>with misinformed Usenet News posters. :)
>
>Adaptec has earned any bad Usenet press they get.
This is very true.
While working for AT&T Bell Labs I needed an ISA SCSI controller
with differential outputs. Since there was no such thing we talked to
Adaptec about making such a card. After all, changing the output chips
from single ended to differential isn't difficult, especially when you
already sell an EISA card with differential outputs. At first they were
very interested, but when it got to be time to make the deal they backed
out. So we went looking else where. For some reason they later invited
us to talk with them again, this time with some VPs present. At first they
were very interested, but within half an hour they backed out again. It
seems they were trying to get AT&T Computer Systems to buy their boards
and when they found out we had nothing to do with them they dropped us
like a hot potato. In general we felt pretty jerked around.
The meeting with the VPs was at COMDEX in Vegas, so we hit the
road and found a vendor, BusTek, now BusLogic, that had an Adaptec clone
and they were interested in doing the mods. So they made the mods, at
a reasonable cost, and worked very quickly to work out the few bugs that
showed up. BTW, this was a low volume project so it isn't like they were
going to make a huge amount of money on us. The fact is they are a small
company and they are hungry for business, not fat and complaisant.
As far as I'm concerned, I would give my business to BusLogic.
Their boards are a little bit more expensive, but they are faster and
I have never had any problems with them. Plus they were always willing
to help me out and fix bugs in their firmware.
>
>It took six weeks to get the 174x documentation from Adaptec, even
>though it was published (To be fair, I wasn't chasing them as aggressively
>as I could have... I would let it slide until I thought
>of it and got angry again). I went through three cycles of:
>
I never had to ask more then once for docs, and that was before
they new we wanted to make a deal with them.
>Working with Adaptec, Part 2: This was to be a target mode application
>on EISA. Adpatec Pre Sales Support suggested the 174x to a client
>as a solution to their target requirements, and then they
>contracted with me to do a driver for them.
>
>In a nut shell: The 174x doesn't work in target mode, the
>documentation is incomplete on target mode,
>and finally, Adaptec now says they will not support ANY host adapter in
>target mode, AND, worst of all, it took several months of working with
>Adaptec before they would flatly say they weren't going to fix or
>support the advertised capabilities of the board.
>
>(to cheer me up, the same week that the letter came saying Adaptec
>does not support target mode on any host adapter, I received the 174x
>manuals from the literature department. This was around September
>after requesting them in March).
>
>There are a number of people within Adaptec who were a
>pleasure to work with, and I don't question their desire to help or the
>technical competence of their engineering department for a minute.
>
>However, the company hung my client out to dry after selling them
>on the board in the first place, and constantly battering Adaptec with
>memos and phone calls to get them to do anything was an
>experience I don't want anyone else to go through.
>
BusLogic advertised that their boards work in target mode, and
we wanted to use it. However the project changed its priorities and then
I left Bell Labs so I don't know if it ever was working. I have to believe
that if it didn't work that they would at least listen and be nice to you.
>Peter
>
>P.S.: I'm really interested to know if the 2740 documentation discusses
>a processor target mode of operation.
Move to BusLogic, forget Adaptec. BusLogic isn't going away
and their boards aren't hard to find. Support a company that supports
its customers. Adaptec cares only about high volume VARs.
*************************************************************************
This is my opinion, and only my opinion. Leave my employer out of it.
... ___ _________
_][_n_n___i_i _________ | | Brian Botton
(____________I.I_______I.|_______| (719) 528-3617 or x43617
/ooOOOO OOOOoo oo oooo oo oo Brian.Botton@Central.Sun.COM