PC form factor

From: Joe <rigdonj_at_intellistar.net>
Date: Thu Jul 8 12:16:02 1999

At 11:08 AM 7/8/99 +1, you wrote:
>
>> > IBM had people who were really worried about noise, hence wouldn't put a
>> > meaningful fan in the box. That little thing in the PSU (which dies
more
>> > often than any other single component in any PC)
>
>> Not to doubt your word, but as owner of a small PC repair shop, my
experience
>> (and records) would suggest that the following components have a higher
>> failure rate than power supplies or their fans. In order from highest
>> failure rate:
>
>> 1) modems -- extremely susceptible to spikes -- our most common repair
>
>Modemfailure due spikes ? Just out of couriosity - do you still
>have telegraph like overhead single wire telephone connections
>and no protective devices in your area ? (Thats just the only
>way I can imagine to become the modems into #1 failing devices)
>

   Yes I have overhead lines and they have protective devices. But the
Telco's idea of protective devices is a spark gap! Yes, seriously.

  But I also live in Central Florida and this is the lightning capital of
the world! A lightning strike on the phone lines will take out the MODEMs
for miles around. I've lost several MODEMS and TVs to lightning and it
ALWAYS came in through the telephone and cable TV lines and not the power
lines. I even lost the keyboard buffer ICs on an old DTK turbo XT due to a
nearby strike that some how induced a surge in the keyboard cable. I now
have protective devices on ALL lines and not just the power lines. The
devices have saved my equipment but they get blown out in the process.
Frankly I wonder if it's worth it. A good telephone line protector cost
more than a MODEM does.

   Joe
Received on Thu Jul 08 1999 - 12:16:02 BST