CompuServe Thread

#670M SCSI for $550!

18 messages in this thread
#136108From: Vernon GranerMar 16, 1994 11:02 PM
For Sale: Maxtor 670 Meg Full High 5+1/4" SCSI Hard Drive. Used for only a few months for a CDROM project that is now complete. Looking to sell quick for $550 Will consider all serious offers. (512)-288-2515 After 6:00pm and before 10:30pm central time
#136140From: Dale LarsonMar 17, 1994 6:08 AM
But I can get a half-height 1 gig drive *new* (with warranty) for only a hundred-fifty more…
#136218From: Vernon GranerMar 17, 1994 9:02 PM
The prices asked are just that, not *everyone* may have the inside contacts to get wholesale, and in the market I am currently in (here in Austin) about $1 a meg is considered good/average. I based my price on currently available drives here in Austin, not on good-buddy deals or fly by ngiht mail order houses. This drive has functioned flawlessly for this small project and is in like new condition and is priced well below current retailers/wholesalers (I checked local pricing at Dell Factory Outlet store as well as Compuadd). Can you state what brand/size/warranty comes with this drive you know about? I don't appreciated your poisoning the atmosphere by asserting that I'm "price gouging" on this drive. I spent over $850 for it only a few months ago and would like to recoup some of the investment. If you have an offer I'd be happy to listen, but if you are simply trying to ruin my business I'd appreciate your keeping the comments to yourself.
#136274From: Dale LarsonMar 18, 1994 5:18 AM
I'm not talking wholesale prices — so far, I've only purchased drives retail. I did buy two large drives last month. Any number of brands, two to five year warranty, 1 gig, 3.5" half-height. Buy Computer Shopper. While there may be fly-by-night companies represented in there, it also contains reputable, well-established companies. Examples of published retail prices for *new* SCSI drives (many or all SCSI-II) from companies that I would buy from: Fujitsu 520 3.5 12ms $483 Fujitsu 1080 3.5 10ms $819 Toshiba 877 3.5 12ms $745 Toshiba 1.2g 3.5 ? $895 I've run across much cheaper, but don't have time to search out exact pricing right now. As you can see, more like $.75/meg is what larger new drives are now going for mail-order retail. I'm sorry you paid so much just a few months ago, but prices are still coming down (and heck, the prices above are two months old). Further, the fact that the drive is full-height makes it a dog, usually sold as surplus at surplus rates. (gig+ drives may be in a different category re: full-hieght, but not 670M.) I'm not trying to poison the atmosphere or to ruin your business. I just don't think that your price is fair, and since it is publicly posted, I thought I'd publicly post my opinion. As a public service. And to give you the chance to tell me what is special about this drive such that it is really worth so much. I wouldn't make an offer on your drive myself, but I have several local friends who've asked me to keep an eye out for used drives larger than 500 meg. If I could get them one at used (rather than new) prices…
#136326From: Charles BlaquiereMar 18, 1994 10:44 PM
you refuse to compare your price with mail-order houses. Yet, you _are_ selling through mail order. I don't see the logic in this. (Nothing heavy, no flames, just pointing out what I perceive to be an odd statement)
#136510From: Vernon GranerMar 20, 1994 5:09 PM
As I have already sold the drive locally, the point here is moot. Oh yes, I *did* get $500 for it, which is about what I thought it to be worth more or less.
#136342From: Jim SakladMar 18, 1994 11:29 PM
Dale – > But I can get a half-height 1 gig drive *new* (with warranty) for only > a hundred-fifty more… Hmmm. Half-height, 1gig SCSI-II drive, *new* (with warranty, for $700 ? Where? And what make? . . . . JimDoc, on AutoPilot
#136360From: Dale LarsonMar 19, 1994 4:53 AM
It was in Computer Shopper somewhere. Don't remember for sure where, but I'm pretty sure that it was a Toshiba drive for $699…
#136535From: Jim SakladMar 20, 1994 11:55 PM
Have you seen any comparison of large (600meg to 2 gig range) drives in terms of quality, reliability, quirks with regard to use with Amigas?
#136555From: daniel wolfMar 21, 1994 1:57 AM
I use several of these kinds of drives (up to 3.6 gigs) and have NO problems. Get yourself a quality controller and you're OK. Not to mention you MUST have quality cables and interconnects. I sell lots of drives so I like to get experience with various ones on different Amiga configurations. If you have specific questions I'll try to answer.
#136568From: Dale LarsonMar 21, 1994 3:34 AM
I haven't really seen any useful reviews. There are a couple of hints though… Look for warranty time and ignore MTBF. A two year warranty means the drive can be expected to last at least two years. A five year warranty means the drive can be expected to last at least five years. I buy drives with five year warranties where is doesn't cost an incredible amount more. I figure that the extra money is really paid for higher quality, not for the equivalent of an "extended warranty." If you are planning to use the large drive on a Zorro-II controller, don't worry about speed. The drive is probably as fast as your controller. If you are using an A3000 or A4000 (or, especially, an A4000T which does SCSI a fair bit faster because of the motherboard (as opposed to Z-III) controller), look for RPM, cache, and seek time. Many people ignore RPM, but that is the important number for how fast you can pull large blocks of raw data off the drive (it also affects seek time and other speed measures).
#136608From: Steve AhlstromMar 21, 1994 5:29 PM
I've been playing with a 2.4G half height 3.5 inch HD (Seagate Barricuda II). Very reliable, very fast. On a 4000 with a Fastlane SCSI II host adapter you're looking at about 4.5m per sec. I've been playing with it with an Amiga-based non-linear editing system (not Newtek's).
#136619From: Doug LawMar 21, 1994 6:25 PM
Steve, that sounds like Digital Broadcaster. If it is, could you give some information on it, quality, software, etc. I've been looking at it, but have not been able to talk to anyone who has actually used it. Thanks Doug
#136653From: Steve AhlstromMar 22, 1994 1:03 AM
First off … I am _not_ a video person, altho I am trying to come up to speed quickly in that area for reasons that (hopefully) will become self evident in the next few weeks/months. I have played with the Digital Broadcaster 32 at my dealer's … he's had one in stock for a couple of months. All I can tell you about it is that, as a toy it is fun to play with. To me, it's nothing more than a toy as is the Toaster. So, I'm afraid I can't give you any useful insight into the unit. I can tell you that I'm very suprised that, until Newtek's announcement today of the Flyer, people were crying about there being no non-linear editing available (Amiga based, that is). The DMI unit has been available for over 3 months now — true, the software was beta, but the hardware is stable, you got a $500 discount over eventual price (as of today, DMI announced version 1.0 release software and bumped the price $500 to $3995). The DMI unit I played with is hooked up to an A4000, Fastlane SCSI II host adapter, and a Barricuda II (2.4G) HD. The output was impressive as h*ll _to me_ … but again, I am not a video person.
#136806From: Jim SakladMar 23, 1994 9:37 PM
Thanks Steve (and Daniel, and Dale) for the big-drive info. . . . . JimDoc, on AutoPilot
#136554From: daniel wolfMar 21, 1994 1:55 AM
Toshiba stopped making 3.5 inch drives months ago. Maybe a closeout for that price, but I'll bet they're not in stock anymore. Brand new high tech SCSI2 1Gig drives go for about $850. However I can often get used or refurb'd for substantially less.
#136431From: NOAM DWORMANMar 19, 1994 8:48 PM
No offense (I've read the thread), but I will give $300
#136511From: Vernon GranerMar 20, 1994 5:09 PM
Sorry, the drive is sold.