SCSI expansion disks on NCR Tower 32

[rogers]

In article <20591 at bbn.COM> jbatson at socrates.bbn.com () writes:
>I'm trying to add a SCSI disk to a Tower 32, but I'm NOT buying it
>through NCR - like most other computer vendors, they want much too much
>for disks when bought through them.
>
>However, I'm in need of some assistance on this.  NCR has been pretty
>poor in supplying ANY information I've needed (some modest exception to
>be made for Greg Noel, ncr-sd!greg, who has at least made an effort
>once or twice).

	Who have you asked?  You have to wave greenbacks if you talk to
	salesmen.
>                   My general opinion of NCR in the "open systems" area
>is very low - I've worked on Towers since the first generation (Tower
>1632), and although their marketing brochures have always touted that
>they use "industry standard interfaces so you can expand using any
>components you'd like" (e.g. the "open system" approach), they
>generally drop you like a hot potato once you start asking the
>necessary questions.

	What does lack of answers have to do with open systems?  I can 
	understand being miffed if you can't get the answers, but I find 
	it hard to translate that into a flame on open systems.  NCR has 
	helped many customers adapt the TOWER 32 to their particular 
	environments through direct consultation.  Yeah, we might lack 
	some documentation you consider helpful.  Something wrong with 
	your phone?
>                      It was three years after the original release of
>the Tower before they had any documentation on device drivers for the
>Tower (and to be sure, they had some unusual kernel functions you
>needed to know about).

	This did not stop anybody else.  Again, something wrong with your 
	phone?
>                        Having worked on numerous other systems in
>those years, you can consider this an educated flame about NCR.  LTTB.

	No such thing as an educated flame.  That's a conflict of terms, 
	sort of like *army intelligence*.:-)

>Has anybody out there put non-NCR SCSI disks on a 32?  If so, tell me
>by E-mail who you are, and I'll drop you a note with some specific
>questions (in an effort to keep net traffic down).

	Mr. Batman, er, Batson, the problem you have run into is
	fundamental to capitalism.  Successful business enterprises
	don't have people sitting around waiting for opportunities.
	They keep people busy.  Therefore, the choice to redirect their
	resources to assist people such as yourself boils down to how
	lucrative the financials are.  In other words, can we solve a
	problem for you that, BTW, makes us a great deal of money?
	
	Drop the note...no promises made.:-)
____________             _____________________________________________________
                        |                                                     |
U          U            |       >  >  >  >  >  >  >  > ...!rutgers!           |
U          U            |      ^        ^                     v               |
U Wildcats U  K      K  |      ^        ^        ...!gatech!mcnc!< < uvaarpa! |
U          U  K    K    |      ^        ^              v      v               |
U          U  K  K      |      ^ ...!sri-unix!hplabs!< <   ece-csc!           |
 U        U   KK        |      ^                v             v               |
   UUUUUU     K  K      | ...!sdcsvax!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!ncr-sd!ncrcae!ofc!rogers |
              K    K    |-----------------------------------------------------|
---------     K      K  |    OR JUST TRY hl.rogers at ncrcae.Columbia.NCR.COM    |
HL Rogers               |_____________________________________________________|

"If you don't have time to do it right the first time, when 
 will you ever find time to do it over." - from a wise sage.
 Go Big Blue!