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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: Cyberus on January 15, 2004, 01:12:38 PM

Title: Q-drive or Squirrel SCSI?
Post by: Cyberus on January 15, 2004, 01:12:38 PM

Does anyone have any experience of the Q-drive? It was sold by Amiga Technologies.
I read somewhere that it has some kind of CD32 emulation built in(???). Basically, if I just wanted a CD drive (and no other devices) for a bog standard A1200, which would be the better - that or a Squizzle and SCSI CD-ROM
I saw a PDF about the Q-drive on the net  the other day, but apart from being difficult to read it left me none the wiser.

Thanks guys

Title: Re: Q-drive or Squirrel SCSI?
Post by: StevenJGore on January 15, 2004, 01:32:21 PM

I've just sold an Amiga Technologies 1241 Q-drive on eBay. The item description and photos were detailed, with the item description being copied word-for-word from the back of the box, so it may be of some use to you:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3067317034&category=3543&rd=1 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3067317034&category=3543&rd=1)

Obviously it's different from the Squirrel SCSI, because you can't add additional devices, but it worked really well, and was 99.9% CD32 compatible. Fast transfer rates and no stability problems... I've had personal experience of Squirrels overheating and freezing A1200's. Perhaps someone else can tell you more about Squirrels, though, since I didn't use one for long.

Steve.

[EDIT]

More information on the Q-Drive 1241 here:

A1200 Q-Drive 1241 Brochure - Front (http://www.garpenholm.se/amiga/images/A1241_1_640.jpg)
A1200 Q-Drive 1241 Brochure - Back (http://www.garpenholm.se/amiga/images/A1241_2_640.jpg)

Title: Re: Q-drive or Squirrel SCSI?
Post by: amiga1260 on January 15, 2004, 02:06:31 PM

I used a Squirrel SCSI interface. It was a good product to add 7 SCSI devices. It has a good CD32 emulator. But every thing also has a dark side. If the CD-ROM is reading,  you cannot do other things, because it used all the CPU cycles and it gets very hot. If you are consider a Squirrel, you are better of to buy a Surf Squirrel, because it takes lesser cpu cycles and it is possible to boot a SCSI hard disk with a memmory-resistant program. And not to forget a high speed serial port.