From: bandy@netnews.jhuapl.edu (Mike Bandy)
Subject: Re: Iomega Bernoulli 90 with HardFrame 2000
Keywords: SCSI, Removable media, Bernoulli, Iomega, Hardframe
Organization: JHU/Applied Physics Laboratory
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 22:28:44 GMT

mjw@sw.stratus.com (Michael Wilson) writes:

>Dear Amigans,

>Has anyone ever successfully connected an Iomega Bernoulli 90M
>removable cartridge drive with a HardFrame 2000 (version 1.5c) SCSI
>DMA controller?  If so how do you like/dislike the configuration,
>performance, ease of use?  Would you do it again the same way?

>So if any of you out there have real world
>experiences with Iomega Bernoulli 90 and HardFrame 2000 SCSI
>adapters or any SCSI adapter that works well with a Bernoulli drive
>in an Amiga I'd be most happy to read your tale of joy or woe. 

I've owned a Bernoulli 90MB for about 3 weeks.  It's attached to
an otherwise stock A3000/25.  So far, it works great.

Before I purchased I called Iomega and they told me that the double 
drive (that is VERY common here at the Lab) wouldn't work due to SCSI
addressing conflicts and to get the transportable single version.  
They told me to look for a Mac version, because it needs a 25 to 15 
pin cable that the Mac also requires.  I scanned
the Mac rags and saw that they have two varieties: the regular
transportable (about $680US) and the "Mac transportable" (about $500), 
the difference being that the latter is internally SCSI terminated
so it has to be end of the SCSI daisy chain.  No problem - I bought
the Mac transportable.

You tell me if it's cost efficient: the drive with one 90MB cartridge 
is $500 and a set of 3 cartridges goes for about $425, so for $925
I have about 340MB (formatted) of extra storage.  AmigaMan (not an 
endorsement) is advertising Maxtor 213MB SCSI disks for $550US.  Where
the Bernoulli starts to pay for itself is as I begin to add more
cartridges at $125/MB.  AmigaMan has the 120MB Maxtor for $379.

Another consideration which I haven't tried: I asked c.s.a.hardware
about using the Bernoulli to read PC format disks via CrossDos.  Several
responders told me it was possible.

I chose the unit for several reasons, which may not apply to you:
1) Applications: I run Imagine and am tired of having to delete
   last week's renders to fit this week's on.
2) Backup of my 100MB hard disk; most of the disk is junk and s/w
   installations.  The important stuff would fit on a handful of 
   floppies, but I like the idea of getting entire directories with 
   all software installed in one shot.
3) Compatability with the PCs at the office.

My biggest complaint is how loud the drive is.  The unit stops spinning
(I think) when not busy, but the fan is very loud, a continuous drone.
I also don't like how the Amiga won't boot until it sees the Bernoulli
powered up *with* a cartridge plugged in.  Then it comes up and doesn't
see the drive after all.  I've played with the mountlist a little to
no avail; if anyone has solved this, I'd appreciate a copy of your
mountlist.

However, I really like how easy it is to hook up to the A3000; there's no
additional system software required.  Because it's a Mac unit (even says 
"Mac Transportable" on the front), the included disk comes loaded with
a bunch of Mac PD software.  I formatted it without scanning it, but
if you have a Mac handy perhaps there's something usefull there.  The
HDToolBox is easy to prepare the cartridges with - you can use it to 
ask the drive it's architecture (number of heads, highest cylinder, etc).
Don't forget to do an AmigaDOS "format" on the unit once you're finished
with HDToolBox (a recent post reported this).

As far as speed, I loaded a 12 frame 24-bit animation using Imagine from
the Bernoulli.  It took about 15 seconds.  I loaded the same animation
from the harddrive and it took about 13 seconds.  Very course timing
withstanding, the difference in speed is acceptable to me.  If I
were doing an I/O intensive application, I would place it's data files
on the harddisk.

The solution works for me; your mileage will vary.

-- 

	Mike Bandy
	bandy@aplcomm.jhuapl.edu
	Johns Hopkins University / Applied Physics Lab