Rear Admiral ThunderDrive released!

[RobertB]

     MyTec Electronics has released the Rear Admiral ThunderDrive, a modern-day replica of the Creative Micro Designs Hard Drive.  To see photos and a blog about the ThunderDrive, go to

          http://69.47.125.137/ThunderDrive/Product/index.html  or
          http://69.47.125.137/ThunderDrive/index.html

     Here are the details on this new hardware:

* The first run of approx. 15 ThunderDrive units is for sale.

* Price - $599 list (eBay) or $549 direct (PayPal non-eBay).

* Payment by Paypal or U.s. Postal Money Order.  If paying directly by Paypal, the "Personal/Gift" option is preferred.

* Contact: workspace(at)wowway.com

* ThunderDrive case size - (L)7.6" x (W)6.2" x (H)1.5" - very compact.

* Power requirements - High-efficiency switch-mode power supply included. 12VDC / 5VDC @2A each max.  Normal load = approx. 1.45A on 5V and 0.98A on 12V.

* Hard drive capacity - 4.1GB of actual user space (4.29GB total drive space).

* Distributed with v1.92 of CMD HD-DOS.

* DOS is installed from the disk and resides in the ThunderDrive DOS memory area.  Kernal routines (or BIOS) are on the ROM.  In comparison to the CMD HD, there are very few differences other than init procedures and some added code for clockUP!(tm) handling.

* An imaged diskette of latest CMD HD utilities is provided, along with references to many on-line repositories for 3rd-party enhancements.

* No DOS improvements, but the electronics have been greatly improved. The number of discrete components has been reduced on the ThunderDrive board in comparison to the CMD HD, and MyTec has developed clockUP!(tm) doubling during non-IEC intervals, which provides increased performance with large REL files, for example, with BBS software.

* Maximum hard drive space recognized - 4.1GB. Such a 4.1 gig limit is due to the 8-bit 6502-based controller used with a 6502-based machine, the math being: 256(8-bit) max sectors x 256(8-bit) max tracks = 65536 blocks x 256(bytes per C= block) x 256(8-bit) partitions = 4.29GB HD Space.

* The ThunderDrive uses a SCA 80-Pin SCSI-3 UW eServer drive mechanism which has been short-stroked and forced into a SCSI-II mode, yielding nominal space for the ThunderDrive while still performing at 10K RPM speeds.  These drives were selected primarily for longevity and form-factor.  The drive is equipped with an internal cooling fan.

* The ThunderDrive has been tested to work perfectly with attached, external, SCSI devices - CMD HD, CD-RW, IomegaZip, Syquest, and magneto/optical devices.

* MyTec also provides complete repair service and replacement parts for CMD HD / FD units.

          Merry Christmas!
          Robert Bernardo
          Fresno Commodore User Group
          http://videocam.net.au/fcug