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1994-11-17
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Path: news.uh.edu!barrett
From: ridgwad@csos.orst.edu (Dean Ridgway)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.reviews
Subject: REVIEW: Bernoulli MultiDisk 150 Insider removable media drive
Followup-To: comp.sys.amiga.hardware
Date: 15 Sep 1994 12:06:01 GMT
Organization: The Amiga Online Review Column - ed. Daniel Barrett
Lines: 626
Sender: amiga-reviews@math.uh.edu (comp.sys.amiga.reviews moderator)
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <359db9$mgm@masala.cc.uh.edu>
Reply-To: ridgwad@csos.orst.edu (Dean Ridgway)
NNTP-Posting-Host: karazm.math.uh.edu
Keywords: hardware, hard drive, removable media, Bernoulli, commercial
Originator: barrett@karazm.math.uh.edu
PRODUCT NAME
Bernoulli MultiDisk 150 Insider.
[MODERATOR'S NOTE: This review was updated on Nov 17, 1994.
Search for the text "[UPDATE:" to find updated information.
-Dan]
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
The Bernoulli MultiDisk 150 is a 150-megabyte, SCSI-2 compliant,
removable cartridge disk drive. The "Insider" is the internal version. The
external, transportable version is called "The Box."
AUTHOR/COMPANY INFORMATION
Name: Iomega Corporation Iomega Europe GmbH
Address: 1821 West Iomega Way Botzinger Strasse 48
Roy, Utah 84067-9977 79111 Freiburg
USA Germany
Phone: (801) 778-3000 49 (0) 761-45040
FAX: (801) 778-3460 49 (0) 761-4504414
EMail: info@iomega.com
There is also an unbelievably large number of world wide, toll free,
telephone numbers for support in a dozen different countries. They are
listed on the back of the installation guide, shipping carton, and on the
label of the supplied disk (more on this later, see DISLIKES). Iomega also
has contact points on CompuServe, AppleLink, America Online, and their own
BBS.
LIST PRICE
The list price according to AC's Guide Summer 1994 edition is $699
(US) for the external version, the list price for the internal version is
$599 (US) according to a phone conversation with Iomega Customer Service.
Since I bought mine through an authorized dealer, I paid almost the full list
price. You could probably do much better mail order.
I'm not sure what the list prices are for cartridges, but I have
seen additional 150 megabyte cartridges around $119 to $129 semi-locally.
Again you could probably do much better by mail order (MEI Micro just started
carrying them at $99.97 each, and less in quantity).
SPECIAL HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS
HARDWARE
A SCSI interface is required. Some older SCSI interfaces
may also require a firmware upgrade.
SOFTWARE
None.
COPY PROTECTION
None.
SPECIFICATIONS (from company literature)
Transfer Rate:
Synchronous Up to 40 megabits/second.
Asynchronous Up to 24 megabits/second.
Burst Up to 15.33 megabits/second.
Sustained Up to 13.33 megabits/second.
Effective Access Time 18 ms.
Seek time
Minimum 2 msec.
Average 25 msec.
Maximum 50 msec.
Latency 12.7 msec.
Spindle Speed 2,363 rpm.
Track-to-Track Access Time 3.5 msec.
Average Head Switch Time 6 msec.
Head Reload Time 165 msec.
Average Start/Stop Time 5 / 3 seconds.
Cache buffer 256k (read/write).
InterLeave 1:1
Long Format 5 minutes.
MTBF 175,000 hours.
Service Life 5 years.
Media drop height/shock 2.44 meters (8ft) / 1000g.
Estimated media shelf life 10 years.
The Bernoulli MultiDisk 150 is read, write, and format compatible
with the 150, 105, 65, 35, and 90 (at reduced performance) megabyte
cartridges. The 44 megabyte cartridge is handled as read-only, and the 20
megabyte cartridge is not supported.
MACHINE USED FOR TESTING
Amiga 500 (Rev 5a, ECS Agnus, Normal Denise, NTSC).
AmigaDOS 2.04 (KickStart 37.175 / WorkBench 37.67).
Hurricane 500 accelerator (14mhz 68020 CPU, 16mhz 68881 FPU).
512k Chip RAM, 2.5 MEG Fast RAM (16 bit), 1 MEG Fast RAM (32 bit).
Supra (old style two piece) SCSI interface, software version 3.8a.
Quantum P40S 40 megabyte hard drive.
CDC Wren 94171-344 308 megabyte hard drive.
Caliper CP-150 250 megabyte tape streamer.
WHY A REMOVABLE?
With the price of relatively large hard drives dropping almost daily,
this is getting to be a rather hard question to answer. My current hardware
is becoming unreliable (the Quantum is slowly dying of stiction, and the CDC
Wren has drive motor problems resulting in lots of soft errors), and both
will eventually need replacing.
While I don't need to transport large quantities of data around (I'd
use the tape streamer if I did), I do have quite a few projects that occupy
my time, and I thought that a removable gave me the best flexibility with
near infinite future expansion. Until I wear it out, it will be the last
drive I'll ever have to buy.
THE QUEST
Having decided to buy a Bernoulli, I now had to find one. The local
stores I frequent carry only SyQuest. For my own reasons, I did not want to
buy one through a mail order house, so I started calling the major computer
stores within 100 miles and finally found one that carries them. After
confirming on the phone that they were in stock, on the shelf, and were
SCSI, I grabbed Mr. VISA and drove off. Once I got to the store, I found
that what they had was a special external IBM "PC Powered" version. Special
IBM and Macintosh versions of devices are notorious for implementing a
proprietary variant of SCSI that is not true SCSI but is marketed as such.
These devices usually will not work with anything except the matching
proprietary interface they are sold with. I did not know if this was the
case with the "PC Powered" version or not, but I decided not to take the
chance of buying it because I would have had to remove the mechanism from
its external case, which would have made returning it "difficult" had it not
worked. I drove home disappointed and driveless.
Once home, I called Iomega's toll free number that is listed in AC's
Summer _Guide_to_the_Commodore_Amiga_ (1-800-4THEBOX). I asked the
receptionist that answered the phone if he could find me a local dealer. He
was very courteous and asked for my zip code which I supplied. He then gave
me the name and phone number for a local dealer only ten miles away.
Once again on the phone, I called the local dealer and found out that
they do not normally have Bernoulli drives in stock, but could special order
them. I had the drive in my hands less than six days later.
One week later I was calling a few other places looking for a store
that has additional 150 megabyte cartridges in stock (I had already filled
the initial cartridge getting ready to retire the CDC Wren). I found
another dealer thirty miles away which not only normally carries the drives
in stock, but sells them for MUCH less than I paid. I paid $550 for my
Insider and this other dealer sells them for $520 which INCLUDES
installation (on an IBM I assume) and TWO 150 megabyte cartridges. This
means that by being impatient I got overcharged by $170 (assuming $120 for
an additional cartridge and $50 for installation (the going rate around here
for CD-ROMs)).
Moral of the story? Asking if a device is SCSI is no longer a
guarantee that its fully SCSI compliant. Grill the salesperson extensively,
especially if you have to travel any great distance. If you have problems
finding Bernoulli products and decide to call the company for help, don't
ask for the closest dealer like I did, get a list of close dealers. It
could save you a considerable sum. Live and learn.
UNPACKING
The Bernoulli 150 Insider comes with a 5.25" half-height internal
drive, one 150 megabyte Bernoulli disk, an internal data cable (SCSI 50 pin
ribbon - about 21" long), four mounting screws, driver software for MS-DOS
and Windows, and a skimpy installation guide.
Mounting rails and brackets are NOT supplied.
INSTALLATION
[MODERATOR'S NOTE: If you are not comfortable opening up your
Amiga, then you should have the work done by an authorized Amiga
service center.