HD Driver
Jon Ellis takes the latest version of HD Driver for a quick spin...
When you buy a hard disk system for your Atari, it usually comes with a
floppy containing the software that allows the computer to talk to the
hard disk. You plug in the hard disk, install the driver software, and
forget about it while it merrily fill up the megabytes with reams of
data. So why do System Solutions want you to part with ś30 for another
hard disk driver, when you've already got one?
The answer is that HD Driver v5.23 is better than what you've got. The
package has been around for years, both in its own right and as part of
the Outside virtual memory system. HD Driver has acquired a reputation
for being fast, reliable and compatible with multitasking operating
systems. The latest versions have added yet more functions and a neat
interface.
HD Driver arrives in a plastic wallet containing a single disk, a
good-quality printed manual and a registration card. Installation is
easy - simply tell the configuration program where to put the driver.
When updating an earlier version of HD Driver, the software even offers
to retain the old configuration settings in the new setup. If you want
to reconfigure the package manually, then that's easy too, using a set
of slick, well-designed dialogs.

Options - we got 'em
Configuration reveals just how big a difference there is between HD
Driver and more basic software like Atari's AHDI. HD Driver supports
the latest hardware (magneto-optical disks) and provides advanced
features to work with the most recent operating system developments
(MagiC 4). It also includes control options specific to each of the
different types of hard disk interface (ACSI, SCSI and IDE), for the
ultimate in fine-tuning.

Special boot-up configurations for every machine

Change the boot-up order by dragging drives around
 
HD Driver supports all the latest hardware
To make for a speedy boot-up, HD Driver allows you to specify the
active disks in your system and the order in which they should be
checked. No more waiting around while the computer tries to talk to
drives that aren't there! Anti-viral protection is also provided in the
form of a facility to write-protect key areas of your hard-drive.
As an added bonus, the disk also includes full programming data on the
XHDI interface. This allows application programs make use of HD
Driver's features. There are also a number of utlity programs and
patches, together with demos of the disk editor Diskus and the virtual
memory manager Outside.

A neat CPX allows write-protection to be turned on or off - anytime

Utility programs include IDCHECK which locates SCSI and ACSI devices
in your system
Repartitioning disks is easy with HD Driver
The English documentation is pleasantly designed and presented.
Although generally well-written, it's rather sparse on detail regarding
some of the options. For example, when describing the data cache
facility that speeds up operation by holding commonly-accessed
information in memory; there is no indication of what might be good
configuration values to get the best performance. Also, the contents of
the HD Driver master disk do not tally with the description in the
documentation.
In the end though, HD Driver succeeds brilliantly because its author
maintains and improves it as an application in its own right, rather
than just a little program to keep the hardware working. "Should be on
every Atari owner's hard disk". It's a well-worn clich‚ that ends many
a review of the latest blockbuster application. Well for once, in the
case of HD Driver, it's quite true.
Product name: HD Driver v5.23
Distributor: System Solutions
Contact: 17-19 Blackwater Street, East Dulwich, London, SE22 8RS
Tel: 0181 693 3355
Email: ssolutions@cix.co.uk
WWW: http://www.ssolutions.com/
Price: ś29.95 Upgrades available
Pros:
- Fast, reliable package
- Excellent configurability
- Supports latest devices and programs
- Actively under development
Cons:
Score: 90%
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