Hard Drive Compatibility — #28

Post #28 by tomlee59

Source Forum	68kMLA
Category	Software
Post Date	Thu, 29 May 2008 - 23:51
Original URL	https://68kmla.org/bb/threads/hard-drive-compatibility.13354/

Post

Was this just a PB 150 problem? In which case it's another strike against that poor PowerBook. Definitely an odd bird. They make it almost impossible to use it as a desktop replacement by removing the ADB port and second serial port, then, even though they had to burn a new ROM to utilize the IDE bus, they don't add SCSI disk mode code to it, which would make it a perfect companion for use with a desktop. They add a more expensive 640x480 LCD, but limit it to 2-bit grayscale which most applications that needed 640x480 probably couldn't use. Odd.

The 150 definitely has several strikes against it. I think your speculation about how the need for Internal HD Format could limit the number of drive options is probably spot on. I've never tried any extensive experiments to assess compatibility with more modern drives, so the question remains open. But given the other oddities of the 150, it wouldn't surprise me at all to learn that it will only work with certain drives made in a certain country on a certain day of the week. Except in leap years.