From: jurlwin@gandalf.UMCS.Maine.EDU (Jeff Urlwin)
Subject: Re: AHA-1542B, AHA-1542BK, or AHA-1542B+?
Organization: University of Maine, Department of Computer Science
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 13:45:35 GMT

In article <1992Dec23.022646.10411@csus.edu> sangercd@nextnet.csus.edu (Carl D. Sanger) writes:
>In article <SLIN.92Dec22134410@regal.cisco.com> slin@cisco.com (Steven Lin) writes:
>>All you OS/2 users out there who have Adaptec SCSI cards:
>>
>>    This is my understanding of what comes with the three packages.
>>The 1542B is just the card; the 1542BK comes with software drivers;
>>the 1542B+ comes with Corel SCSI drivers.  My question is which one
>>should I get?  Do I need software drivers or does OS/2 already provide
>>drivers?  If I do need drivers, should I get the 1542BK or the 1542B+?
>>That is, do I need the Corel SCSI drivers?  What is the difference
>>between the 1542BK and 1542B+ drivers?  Your advice is welcomed.
>>
>>Steve
>
>If you're going to run OS/2 only, don't buy the extra drivers.  OS/2 ships with
>1542b drivers.  I am running their drivers with the beta 1542b CD-ROM drivers.
>It's a great card.  I haven't had any driver related problems.  
>
Well, that still depends upon what SCSI devices you have and if you're
running DOS.  Corel SCSI simply builds upon what adaptec gives you and
provides much greater peripheral support than the native Adaptec drivers.

First of all, if you're going to run anything "strange", like a Magneto
Optical disk, DEFINITELY get the Corel stuff.  It was the ONLY way I could
get my MO drive to work AND have the data shareable with native DOS (a
requirement for me...).

If you are going to try to run a CDROM which is NOT supported by 
OS/2 (yet) then, again, get the Corel stuff.  Note that this is 
becoming less of a need, as IBM is handling more SCSI CDROMs all the time.

Corel SCSI has some drivers for DOS, Windows, Netware and OS/2.  It includes
some SCSI tape backup software for DOS and Windows.  If you have (or
are planning to get) a SCSI Tape drive, then you might want to look
at getting their stuff.  The limitation is, of course, that you couldn't
backup HPFS partitions.  I ended up purchasing Sytos+ for OS/2 and am
really happy with it, so far.  Not that the Corel stuff is bad, it's
just that I have a lot of important data on my HPFS drives.

Now, if you don't have a need for any of the above and are just running
a hard disk off it, but you run DOS with any of the following: QEMM, 
386MAX or Windows and you boot off the SCSI disk, you will at least need
the Kit version.  It comes with documentation for the software and
a little documentation on the OS/2 drivers, though the OS/2 base drivers
come with OS/2, so they are NOT on the disks.  But you will need these
drivers for any software which puts the 386 into protected mode under
DOS (as in list above).

So, if you switch between dos and OS/2 (for that dang program that 
WON'T run in a VDM...) then you should, at least, get the KIT version.

You can buy the Corel SCSI as an add-on later, when you find a need. 
I bought it for $99.

Whew, this got longer than I expected.  I would recommend at least 
purchasing the KIT.  I have 2 AHA1542B cards and I bought the kit
both times (second time to make sure I had the latest drivers).
For a first time buyer, I would get the kit, unless you're tight
on money (it *is* the holiday season...).

Hope this helps.  Good luck.

Jeff


-- 
--------------------------------------
jurlwin@gandalf.umcs.maine.edu

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