From: cbsled@ncia.net
To: <x4u@lists.themacintoshguy.com> (Mac OS X for Users)
Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2001 17:37:15 -0400
Subject: Re: [X4U] Partition Madness-Lessons

Research on Rick's list:

Apple Drive Setup (successor to Apple HD SC Setup)
  Nukes whole drive, will not work on individual partitions 

FWB's Hard Disk Toolkit
  'OEM' version, retail version may vary.
  Will resize HFS without data loss, but not create or format.

DiskTool by Tim Endres (GPLed)
  Found mentions of it on Debian site, but couldn't find the software.

pdisk (from mkLinux, GPLed)
  partitions, will not format HFS, but will make partitions that Mac OS 
  install can see. Linux program.
  perldisk version is on LinuxPPC install CD.

Silverlining from LaCie
  Nothing on their web site says what it does. Parts of description, version 
  number and price are suspiciously identical to APS PowerTools.

DataWare
  Unable to locate, name too common for effective search.

APS PowerTools
  <http://www.apstech.com/prod/item.cfm?cat=1&item=869>
  claims: "...you can test, format, initialize and partition any Mac block 
  storage device..." CD $49.95

MacPeak Spot On
  Turned into RapidTrak
 <http://www.macpeak.com/rt.html>
  $39.95 online. Web pages seriously messed up.

Seagate (formerly OnTrack) Disk Manager Mac
  <http://www.seagate.com:80/support/kb/disc/install_mac.html>
(FAQ) "We suggest you contact Apple Computer for a list of companies that 
    supply information on drive preparation software compatible with your 
    version of the Mac OS system."

Charismac Engineering's Anubis
<http://www.charismac.com/Products/Anubis/anubisrelease.htm>
 claims: "Anubis allows users to easily format, partition and install 
    high-performance device drivers to a variety of storage devices through 
    an intuitive user interface."
    $129.95 downlodable or CD. 
    It would be a lot cheaper to buy RapidTrak, then pay Charismac for their 
    $19.95 competitive upgrade.


No one specifically stated that their software would work on only one 
partition at a time. That would require testing.

I found a curious note in something I read during this search which stated 
that all an HFS format did was install a driver, it didn't write anything 
to the "formatted" partition, like a filesystem for example. Hmmm.

-- 
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Carl Brown cbsled@ncia.net
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