Re: [tlug] Seagate Sudden Death....

["Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon" <ronfaxon@example.com>]

Botond Botyanszki wrote:

>>But what do you think of the mechanical design of the thing? 
>>    
>>
>
>But technology has come a long way since then, you probably know how
>electronic devices are manufactured nowadays. When the product comes off
>the assembly line, it won't be packaged and shipped to the customer
>straight ahead, rather it goes through a quite severe stress testing and
>QA process. 
>

Yes, but the problem with a pressure contact is that it will work 100% 
of the time for a limited time, but as more time goes by, the connection 
goes bad.  It's almost an intuitive thing (or should be!).  If you leave 
the (mechanical) volume control on your stereo at the same position for 
month after month, chances are, one channel or the other will go weak or 
cut out after a certain number of months, which is easily fixed by 
rotating the volume control back and forth to reestablish good contact 
again.  So - I'm sure they do test them, but I'm also sure they don't 
leave their new design sitting in a machine to time-test it for two or 
three years before they sell a new model!  We become the time-testers!  
After my experience with that badly designed Sony radio, I would suspect 
that new Seagate drives have a better designed contact there now... but 
is there anyone (person or organization) that breaks apart new drives 
and publishes the design they use?  Some camera magazines used to do 
that, and then report on the quality of workmanship and design within, 
with detailed photos of the parts.

Just speaking for myself, until I know Seagate is using a more solid 
connection between their circuit board and the rest of the hard drive, I 
am never buying a Seagate drive again!

A possible reason for the easy disassembly of the drive - is maybe like 
disposable cameras?  If nothing else they could certainly reuse the main 
casing and the disk spacers.....

Lyle