From: mre@ukc.ac.uk (Mike)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Warning: Risc Developments
Date: 12 Oct 92 08:57:47 GMT
Organization: Computing Lab, University of Kent at Canterbury, UK.

In article <1992Oct10.120929.11346@waikato.ac.nz> bwc@waikato.ac.nz (Ug!) writes:
>Hi folks!
>
>Well, after talking to several people who have been having the same hard drive
>problems as myself, I can only suggest the following:
>
>Do *not*, whatever you do, buy a Risc Developments internal 20 MByte drive for
>the A3000 -- at least, until they update their firmware!  These problems are
>common to all owners of this drive that I have met:
>
>(a)  If you format the drive with a directory size of 256, you get the
>     following problem:

[list of problems deleted - basically the machine crashes]

>(b)  If you format the drive with a directory size of 512, you get the
>     following problem:

[list of problems deleted - basically the harddisc corrupts]

>(c) The only two sizes which you can use for directories when you format the
> drive are 256 and 512.  

>(d) Both problems occur under RiscOS 2 *and* RiscOS 3.1.  The operating
>system is *not* the problem here.

>So once again, do *not* buy these drives, util such time as the firmware on
>the podules have been updated by Risc Developments.

The "quick and dirty" fix to this problem is to reformat the disc with a
directory size of 128 bytes - this requires a two byte change in the BASIC
formatter supplied with the drive.  

RISC Developments puts the blame squarely on the Acorn Filecore module.  I
have contacted Acorn about this and they have refused to comment either to
confirm or deny the claim.  In fact they told me to "go to my local dealer"
- ie RISC Developments!

I contacted RD recently - they claim that the "new multitasking
multi-partition formatter" will be released "real soon now - probably just
after the BBC AU Show" (next weekend).  I am going to the show and I intend
to hassle anyone and everyone on the RD stand - including telling anyone I
see about to purchase anything from their that the customer relations
STINK.  

It took me three months to get the "bug fix" out of them during which time
they refused to admit that there was a problem and as a result I had to
reformat my drive at least ten times!

I have also contacted RD about the incompatibility of their drive with the
multi-tasking free-space display of RISC OS3.10.  Their response? "Well, we
do not intend to change this."

Oh,  and just in case you're wondering why I haven't returned my harddrive...

Cost of unit                  #200
Charge for returning unit     #170
                              ====
Total refund if unit returned #030

If that's is "good customer relations" then I've just seen a flying pig.

I reiterate the original poster's comment -

DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM RISC DEVELOPMENTS
==========================================

 - only by cutting their profits will we get anything vaguely resembling a
decent service from them.


-- 
Michael Ellis,  Darwin College,  The University of Kent,  Canterbury, England.

    ********* Views expressed are my own and in no way represent *********
    *********     the views of any past or present employers.    *********