Since the hard drive is dead, what harm can you do?  Just match the drive
with the controller.  Of course, you probably can;'t get an MFM or RLL
controller for a 200 Mb drive too readily, but they are probably around.  I
agree, the way you put it, it sounds like Zeiss is being extraordinarily
unreasonable.  Makes me glad we didn't buy a Zeiss.  (doesn't make you
feel any better, I'm sure).
 
Can you possibly have some local computer wizard there look it over and
give you a sensible assessment?
 
On Tue, 19 Apr 1994, Alan C. Bovik wrote:
 
> Hello All:
>
> I am having a bit of a problem with Carl Zeiss, Inc.
>
> We have one of the Zeiss marble-top confocal instruments,
> it's a few years old now.
>
> The computer inside the scope is a PC running DOS. The PC
> is equipped with a (measly!) 20MB hard drive. We have in the past asked
> the Zeiss people why we are stuck with that damn measly 20Meg hard drive
> when a 200Meg drive only costs ~$200.
>
> The answer from Zeiss was something like they modified the PC enough
> to make it non-standard so that we couldn't go inside and make it better
> (a proprietary scheme). If it were really just a PC clone, we'd be able
> to add as many and as big of a drive as we want.
>
> Well, this is all fine, we did buy the scope under these conditions.
> NOW to the punch line. That little $100 turd of a hard drive has crashed
> - disk error. We have appealed to Zeiss for help, in particular, it would seem
> reasonable for us to be able to replace the disk for a minimal cost -
> couple hundred bucks.
>
> However, what we get from Zeiss is this: some fellow by the name
> of "Fritz" is estimating a "repair cost" of $3000 - can you believe that?
> More amazingly, this is after he is ALREADY going to be right here
> in Texas - so minimal "travel charges."
>
> Has anybody else suffered under this oppressive position by Zeiss?
> Has anybody been able to affect a simple change of disks on
> one of their instruments?
>
> Does anybody have a similar Zeiss horror story they'd like to relate?
>
> This one I like to title:
>
> "Zeiss Repairs $100 Hard Disk for $3000"
>
> Looking forward to seeing you all at the next 3-D meeting ....
>
> Al Bovik
>
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>    _    Professor Al Bovik                      Phone: (512) 471-5370
>  _| ~-. Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engr.    Fax: (512) 471-5907
>  \, *_} The University of Texas at Austin       [log in to unmask]
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>