Adaptec SlimSCSI

The biggest hangup in running NT on a portableis installing it: You can install from either floppy disks or a CD, but each hasits problems. Installing from CD has significant advantages. The obviousadvantage is that one CD is far easier to install than 24 floppies. However,you're stuck if your portable doesn't have an internal CD-ROM drive, a SCSI-2connector, or a docking station. So, some of you, whether you have the time ornot, will have to install from floppies.

Ifyou absolutely don't have the time to spare and want to try this approach, youcan get a CD-ROM drive by using a PC Card SCSI adapter: Adaptec ported itsSlimSCSI (APA1460) PC Card package to NT. The next NT shell release (4.0) willinclude the drivers for this solution, but for now, you'll have to download thesoftware. It's available from Adaptec's bulletin board at 408-945-7727. Thefilename to download is 1460wnt.exe. (For more on PC Card modems, see page 74.)

But beware; there is a catch. This software will let you only upgrade orrepair your existing installation of NT. Also, you'll have no way to use yourCD-ROM to do a first-time install of NT, because PC Card devices are notsupported at boot time. In other words, to install NT, you must already have NTrunning--not exactly an ideal solution for first-time users.

There is a workaround if you don't have the 3.50" floppyversion of NT, but be prepared for some hassles: You can install NT from CD byformatting your drive's File Allocation Table (FAT). Then you load basic DOS andboot from there. Install the SlimSCSI and your CD driver software andcard/socket services. Execute the winnt.exe/b (the 16-bit version) command toload and install NT directly from the CD.

If all you need is access to SCSI peripherals, you can add the card'sdriver from the NT Control Panel as you do for any other device. The packagealso includes Windows and DOS software (for the workaround).

The SlimSCSI card attaches to a proprietary cable with a standard 50-pinCentronix SCSI connector at the other end, which will be fine for mostperipheral devices. Adapters are available for micro-SCSI. You can then connectup to seven devices, such as CD-ROM drives, tape drives, and hard disks. Thiscard features a 16-bit-wide architecture with a 2MB-per-second (MBps) transferrate, so performance is adequate, if not exciting. The card can run as eitherSCSI-1 or SCSI-2, and works in Type-I, II, III, or Toshiba's proprietary Type-IVPC Card slots.

This card is worthwhile despite the problems with operating-systeminstallation. For a unique NT product, Adaptec gets a thumbs-up for porting thisadd-on.