How is Dell "delivering" hard drives - one huge partition?

On Thu, 17 Jun 2004 06:43:00 -0400, Harry Krause wrote:

How is Dell delivering new desktop machines with really large hard
drives of, say 100 gigs plus? Still all in one huge partition? NTFS? What?

Thanks!

Apparently. My XPS Gen 2 with 120GB HD came NTFS.

Jack Mac

Yep, I too have an XPS Gen 2 and it came with a 120GB SATA drive which has a
single partition on it...

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Jack Mac wrote:

On Thu, 17 Jun 2004 06:43:00 -0400, Harry Krause
wrote:

How is Dell delivering new desktop machines with really large hard
drives of, say 100 gigs plus? Still all in one huge partition? NTFS?
What?

Thanks!

Apparently. My XPS Gen 2 with 120GB HD came NTFS.

Jack Mac



Thanks, Jack...all in one partition, too?

Jack Mac wrote:

On Thu, 17 Jun 2004 06:43:00 -0400, Harry Krause wrote:

How is Dell delivering new desktop machines with really large hard
drives of, say 100 gigs plus? Still all in one huge partition? NTFS? What?

Thanks!

Apparently. My XPS Gen 2 with 120GB HD came NTFS.

Wasn't that actually 119.963GB NTFS in a Primary OS partition and
37MB FAT for the hidden Dell maintenance/diagnostic partition?
Or don't the XPS machines include that leetle maint/diag
partition? ;-
--
OJ III
[Email sent to Yahoo address is burned before reading.
Lower and crunch the sig and you'll net me at comcast.]

I would never expect that a consumer setup would be anything other than
that. Most of the reasons for creating multiple partitions have long since
vanished. The issue of backups is still a real consideration, but frankly, I
doubt that many consumers ever consider the issue of what happens if the
hard drive crashes. No one I've ever worked with considers it. It's hard
enough to get them to subscribe to and regularly update AV software or pay
$15 to renew an AV subscription. Trying to talk them into a solution that
could cost the hundreds of dollars just ain't gonna work....

I've worked with computers and end users for over 25 years and multiple
partitions on a hard drive just confuse the average end user. If, for
example, they have an 80 GB drive partitioned as 20/20/40GB, they will never
use anything other than the primary 20GB drive...ever.....

While a single large 100MB+ partition makes most technical experts cringe,
it's really the only practical implementation for the consumer market. If
you are knowledgeable enough to conclude you need/want multiple partitions,
you will know what has to be done (and can do it) to get what you want.
Think about it.... what are the chances that *ANY* partitioning will meet
anyone's requirements? I've never partitioned a drive where I didn't feel
the need to re-do it later. You always allocate to much or too little. You
end up doing things like moving the swap file, My documents, temp
directories, applications, etc. or buying Partition Magic.....

--
Regards,
Hank Arnold

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
How is Dell delivering new desktop machines with really large hard
drives of, say 100 gigs plus? Still all in one huge partition? NTFS? What?

Thanks!

Hank Arnold wrote:

I would never expect that a consumer setup would be anything other than
that. Most of the reasons for creating multiple partitions have long since
vanished. The issue of backups is still a real consideration, but frankly, I
doubt that many consumers ever consider the issue of what happens if the
hard drive crashes. No one I've ever worked with considers it. It's hard
enough to get them to subscribe to and regularly update AV software or pay
$15 to renew an AV subscription. Trying to talk them into a solution that
could cost the hundreds of dollars just ain't gonna work....

I've worked with computers and end users for over 25 years and multiple
partitions on a hard drive just confuse the average end user. If, for
example, they have an 80 GB drive partitioned as 20/20/40GB, they will never
use anything other than the primary 20GB drive...ever.....

While a single large 100MB+ partition makes most technical experts cringe,
it's really the only practical implementation for the consumer market. If
you are knowledgeable enough to conclude you need/want multiple partitions,
you will know what has to be done (and can do it) to get what you want.
Think about it.... what are the chances that *ANY* partitioning will meet
anyone's requirements? I've never partitioned a drive where I didn't feel
the need to re-do it later. You always allocate to much or too little. You
end up doing things like moving the swap file, My documents, temp
directories, applications, etc. or buying Partition Magic.....


Yeah, you're close to my thoughts on this...but I do have a recent copy
of partition magic handy...

"Hank Arnold" wrote in message
.. .
I would never expect that a consumer setup would be anything other than
that. Most of the reasons for creating multiple partitions have long since
vanished. The issue of backups is still a real consideration, but frankly,
I
doubt that many consumers ever consider the issue of what happens if the
hard drive crashes. No one I've ever worked with considers it. It's hard
enough to get them to subscribe to and regularly update AV software or pay
$15 to renew an AV subscription. Trying to talk them into a solution that
could cost the hundreds of dollars just ain't gonna work....

I've worked with computers and end users for over 25 years and multiple
partitions on a hard drive just confuse the average end user. If, for
example, they have an 80 GB drive partitioned as 20/20/40GB, they will
never
use anything other than the primary 20GB drive...ever.....

While a single large 100MB+ partition makes most technical experts cringe,
it's really the only practical implementation for the consumer market. If
you are knowledgeable enough to conclude you need/want multiple
partitions,
you will know what has to be done (and can do it) to get what you want.
Think about it.... what are the chances that *ANY* partitioning will meet
anyone's requirements? I've never partitioned a drive where I didn't feel
the need to re-do it later. You always allocate to much or too little. You
end up doing things like moving the swap file, My documents, temp
directories, applications, etc. or buying Partition Magic.....

--
Regards,
Hank Arnold

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
How is Dell delivering new desktop machines with really large hard
drives of, say 100 gigs plus? Still all in one huge partition? NTFS?
What?

Thanks!



Well said and very true. Usually the computer comes back to me for lack of
space with one empty partition and one maxed out. I stopped partitioning
long ago. AV updates...what's that? (GRIN).


Regards,
John O.

Hank Arnold wrote:

I would never expect that a consumer setup would be anything other than
that. Most of the reasons for creating multiple partitions have long since
vanished. The issue of backups is still a real consideration, but frankly, I
doubt that many consumers ever consider the issue of what happens if the
hard drive crashes. No one I've ever worked with considers it. It's hard
enough to get them to subscribe to and regularly update AV software or pay
$15 to renew an AV subscription. Trying to talk them into a solution that
could cost the hundreds of dollars just ain't gonna work....

I've worked with computers and end users for over 25 years and multiple
partitions on a hard drive just confuse the average end user. If, for
example, they have an 80 GB drive partitioned as 20/20/40GB, they will never
use anything other than the primary 20GB drive...ever.....

While a single large 100MB+ partition makes most technical experts cringe,
it's really the only practical implementation for the consumer market. If
you are knowledgeable enough to conclude you need/want multiple partitions,
you will know what has to be done (and can do it) to get what you want.
Think about it.... what are the chances that *ANY* partitioning will meet
anyone's requirements? I've never partitioned a drive where I didn't feel
the need to re-do it later. You always allocate to much or too little. You
end up doing things like moving the swap file, My documents, temp
directories, applications, etc. or buying Partition Magic.....

PartitionMagic

I agree, I would not expect computer vendors to partition large HDDs for
the very reasons Hank has mentioned.

"Hank Arnold" wrote:

I would never expect that a consumer setup would be anything other than
that. Most of the reasons for creating multiple partitions have long since
vanished. The issue of backups is still a real consideration, but frankly, I
doubt that many consumers ever consider the issue of what happens if the
hard drive crashes. No one I've ever worked with considers it. It's hard
enough to get them to subscribe to and regularly update AV software or pay
$15 to renew an AV subscription. Trying to talk them into a solution that
could cost the hundreds of dollars just ain't gonna work....

I've worked with computers and end users for over 25 years and multiple
partitions on a hard drive just confuse the average end user. If, for
example, they have an 80 GB drive partitioned as 20/20/40GB, they will never
use anything other than the primary 20GB drive...ever.....

While a single large 100MB+ partition makes most technical experts cringe,
it's really the only practical implementation for the consumer market. If
you are knowledgeable enough to conclude you need/want multiple partitions,
you will know what has to be done (and can do it) to get what you want.
Think about it.... what are the chances that *ANY* partitioning will meet
anyone's requirements? I've never partitioned a drive where I didn't feel
the need to re-do it later. You always allocate to much or too little. You
end up doing things like moving the swap file, My documents, temp
directories, applications, etc. or buying Partition Magic.....

Agree with your basic points. I have, since early in the DOS
days when partitioning became feasible and easy [all hail
Partition Magic ;-], and in anticipation of Bill Gates' Windoze
with it's "File Folders", partitioned my HD into logical drives
to use as "File Cabinets" to separate data files by client
directories and project subdirectories [oops, Folders]. Also in
the DOS days, wanting to keep app programs separate in the
pre-Windows and pre-install/uninstall program era, I always put
major apps on a D: drive, and utilities, newsreaders, email, etc,
on E, reserving C: for DOS and the myriad of drivers it required.

I still prefer that organization over stuffing everything into a
C: partition, and getting lost in the directory structure. But
that's just me. Others don't. Fine. Computers are just tools,
to be used, within their capabilities, in whatever way the user
finds most comfortable and sensible for them [or, in the case of
rigid corporationdom, for the IT gurus of the company]. If
that's one drive partition fine. If it's a lot of drive
partitions, that's fine too.
--
OJ III
[Email sent to Yahoo address is burned before reading.
Lower and crunch the sig and you'll net me at comcast.]

Ogden Johnson III wrote:

snip

Agree with your basic points. I have, since early in the DOS
days when partitioning became feasible and easy [all hail
Partition Magic ;-], and in anticipation of Bill Gates' Windoze
with it's "File Folders", partitioned my HD into logical drives
to use as "File Cabinets" to separate data files by client
directories and project subdirectories [oops, Folders]. Also in
the DOS days, wanting to keep app programs separate in the
pre-Windows and pre-install/uninstall program era, I always put
major apps on a D: drive, and utilities, newsreaders, email, etc,
on E, reserving C: for DOS and the myriad of drivers it required.

I still prefer that organization over stuffing everything into a
C: partition, and getting lost in the directory structure. But
that's just me. Others don't. Fine. Computers are just tools,
to be used, within their capabilities, in whatever way the user
finds most comfortable and sensible for them [or, in the case of
rigid corporationdom, for the IT gurus of the company]. If
that's one drive partition fine. If it's a lot of drive
partitions, that's fine too.

No issues with Ogden's post; however, as I retired IT professional I
would urge everyone with anything on their HDD to make backups!!! So few
people do and it's a shame when the inevitable happens.

Also keep your anti virus definitions up to date. If your definitions
are 6 months old, your computer is vulnerable to all viruses, worms,
etc., developed in the last 6 months.

Yes, there's a 39MB partition also...

"Ogden Johnson III" wrote in message
...
Jack Mac wrote:

On Thu, 17 Jun 2004 06:43:00 -0400, Harry Krause
wrote:

How is Dell delivering new desktop machines with really large hard
drives of, say 100 gigs plus? Still all in one huge partition? NTFS?
What?

Thanks!

Apparently. My XPS Gen 2 with 120GB HD came NTFS.

Wasn't that actually 119.963GB NTFS in a Primary OS partition and
37MB FAT for the hidden Dell maintenance/diagnostic partition?
Or don't the XPS machines include that leetle maint/diag
partition? ;-
--
OJ III
[Email sent to Yahoo address is burned before reading.
Lower and crunch the sig and you'll net me at comcast.]