*BSD News Article 42915


Return to BSD News archive

Xref: sserve comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc:19083 alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus:141 comp.os.linux.hardware:2617 comp.os.386bsd.misc:5519 comp.os.os2.misc:127558
Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!bunyip.cc.uq.oz.au!munnari.oz.au!news.hawaii.edu!ames!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!utnut!torn!uunet.ca!uunet.ca!io.org!honu
From: bunrab@io.org (Peter Bennett)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc,io.general,io.computers,alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus,comp.os.linux.hardware,comp.os.386bsd.misc,comp.os.os2.misc
Subject: Re: List of recommended hardware components
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 95 19:22:15 GMT
Organization: {{{Gober Software Productions}}}
Lines: 33
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <3i2svg$ons@ionews.io.org>
References: <D3puIM.2E1@bonkers.taronga.com> <3hep07$d3m@mercury.interpath.net> <D3ynCL.2K0@visix.com> <3i16ag$9eh@mercury.interpath.net>
NNTP-Posting-Host: honu.net5d.io.org
X-Newsreader: News Xpress Version 1.0 Beta #2

ctwilson@mercury.interpath.net (Tom Wilson) wrote:
>In article <D3ynCL.2K0@visix.com>, David Charlap <david@visix.com> wrote:
>:Tom Wilson <ctwilson@mercury.interpath.net> wrote:
>:>
>:>You're right about Miniscribe...Maxtor got 'em...
>:
>:Good riddance.  Every single MiniScribe drive I ever used broke within
>:six months of installation.  Usually something along the lines of the
>:spindle motor burning itself out.  A completely inexcusable failure,
>:IMO.
>
>You know, it's interesting how long they lasted.  I don't think I've
>*ever* talked to anybody who actually *liked* Miniscribe drives.  I
>*think* they lasted as long as they did by cooking their books...at
>least, that's what I heard, which could, of course, be total B.S.

One thing that always bothers me is the way people jump on the bandwagon
when someone starts bashing something.  Miniscribe, for all its faults, did
make some decent drives that lasted.  I ran a BBS for about five years on a
Miniscribe.  When it started to go, it gave me plenty of warning, so I
didn't lose a single byte.

I also know of several systems that had Miniscribes that gave long and
faithful service.  The vendor that I and several of the companies I did
work for used nothing but Miniscribes for three or four years.  Of the
15 or so drives I am aware of, there is not a single horror story.

I'm sure Miniscribe made some dogs, and perhaps some models were more
unreliable than others.  Nevertheless, it is unfair to bash Miniscribe as
though its only purpose in life was to rip off unsuspecting customers.


	Peter Bennett, Mississauga, Ontario		email: bunrab@io.org