Using old disks drives

[Tony Duell]

> Not only that but when you do find packs/heads/etc. do you want to
> wear them out by just tinkering around?

The other side ot that is : What's the point in having a good set of 
heads just to look nice on the shelf. You maight as well use them. If 
you're not going to use it at all, it doesn't matter if the heads will 
fly or not.

I have no problem at all with using modern peripherals, be they storage, 
terminals, monitors, whatever, on classic computers. But I don't like 
_just_ preserving the CPU as the only interesting part of the classic 
computer. Of course if you just get the CPU, it's great to be able to use 
modern peripherals with it, that way you can get it to do something. If 
you have an old complete system, then there's nothing wrong with sticking 
an IDE interface or a SCSI interface in it and using a modern hard disk 
in place of the 'washing machine'. But I'd want to keep the old drives 
around, in runnable condition. Not use them all the time, but be able to 
use them. As I've said before, I find the design of a hard disk to be 
every bit as interesting as the CPU.

[...]

> Then there's the power needs.  An RL01 requires a helluva lot more
> power to run on a regular basis than an RL01 emulator connected to a
> PC and the MTBF is much, much higher with the emulator.

On the other hand, the RL01 is a lot easier to repair than the modern unit.

-tony