CompuServe Thread

>> But they are all over at varying prices… << That very interesting Dennis as several resellers have had difficulty getting them. I appreciate the posting. FYI its better to post ball park cost or use words like significantly less than retail etc. Its o.k. to give referrals or phone numbers. This is a courtesy policy regarding the posting of pricing on ASOFT. And I'd like to spare you the potential grief. 🙂 Thanks for the follow up. John

Gary, >> I'm nervous enough as it is… hope you can help me calm down. << Can you wait? Or is this something you have to get into right now? That of course is your first consideration. At the moment we're in a window between what is tried and true and the promise of better to come. Technology changes pretty fast anyway. The average technology cycle used to be about every 18 months, now I think its getting closer to 15 months. If you can't wait, then it really doesn't matter as you have to have the equipment to get the job done. If that's the case then you're still in good shape because this technology has been fairly well tested over the last year and a half and the vast majority of people are happy with their use. Course you're more likely to hear complaints than people happily doing what they do with it. But considering the number of units sold and the generally favorable comments, the numbers are definitely in its favor. In one sense I can't ally your concerns, because the technology is always changing. But in another, maybe I can, by giving you a perspective on the current situation. The current PAR technology is quite well tested and its short comings and problems are fairly well known. This is based on the premise there is no perfect product. Judging from people's enthusiasm for it, it rates very high marks and I say this as one of, if not the toughest critic. The next generation while it offers alot of promise, is bound to have some problems, but if the past is any guage, most will be resolved fairly quickly. If you are already heavily involved in production then I would recommend going with the current technology as that is going to get you up and running in the shortest amount of time and give you the least amount of problems. For some people this is reason enough. If you're gearing up for production, you may or may not benefit by having the latest technology. That depends on whether you can afford the bumps and jolts along the way until the new technology has proven itself. This however will be offset by better performance, more flexibility as well as state of the art technology. All in all this is still a fairly young technology on the PC no matter how you look at it. The PAR has been out a little over a year on the PC and we were fortuneate in that it was tested on the Amiga platform for a couple of years before that. There have been wrinkles but most people have been, as I said, very happy with the PAR as it performs today, in spite of whatever problems they may have encoutered along the way. Most of which you will have avoided, and the kinds of problems you are likely to encouter have already been encountered by others. Another factor in this equation is, the kind of person you are. Some people relish testing new ground, and welcome the challenges it affords, while other's like dependability and the tried and true. If you're the later, now is an ideal time to buy as its not going to get much better. At least until the new technology checks out. The Conner may be the 2217a's replacement. From my experience with it, the Conner appears to be a very good drive and provides higher sustained throughput than the 2217a, but it doesn't have the sustained capacity ie you can put almost twice as much on a 2217a. Since most people who have the 2217a are very happy with it I would say that its a better alternative. Especially considering that the price is fairly comparable and its also a more durably constructed drive. I expect for some the PAR as it stands today will be a workhorse for years to come. Hope this helps you decide the best course of action, and gives you some perspective on this industry. One other thing, find a good dealer. For some money is the only consideration and buy the cheapest they can, but if you pay a little more and have chosen your dealer well, in the event that you have problems it can make the difference between success and productivity and total anxiety and frustration. That really is your best insurance. I suppose my best recommendation would be to ask around until you're confident that you've found a good one, and at that point your should feel fairly confident about whatever decision you've reached. John