LT KERNAL HARD DISK DRIVE REVIEWED
               Michael Kelley
    First off, special thanks and appreciation to Roy E. Southwick of 
Fiscal Information Inc., 143 Executive Cl., Daytona Beach, Fla., 32014.  
Roy is the developer and programmer for the LT KERNAL 20 meg hard drive 
that can be hooked up to the Commodore 64 or 128 computer and used as a 
mass storage device just like the so-called big boys.  With a LOT of 
pleading and coaxing, Roy was able to put together a demo package of 
one of these wonders of modern technology for my review for BBCG.  
Without his support and assistance this review would not have been 
possible.
    Let me first say that the LT KERNAL does all that it is supposed to 
do in regards to literature and information I had received and read or 
heard.  It is a 20 megabyte, SCSI hard drive, about the size of two 
1541 drives set side by side, and about an inch lower in height.  It 
fits very nicely on a computer desk or table, and is colored to match 
the newer C64s as well as the 128s.  It has its own power supply and 
fan, and draws only what it needs through the 'host adapter', a box 
about the size of two store bought cassette tapes set side by side.  
The host adapter is very heavy and had to be supported on my pull out 
computer shelf in order to keep it from falling out of the cartridge 
port of the group's C128.  All cables and accessories are provided, and 
once you understand the instructions installation goes smoothly.
    The manual is very detailed and well printed, but some of the 
instructions and information could be simplified or put in a better 
order to make it more understandable.  In my conversation with Roy, a 
mistake I made while following the 128 installation instructions was 
'common'.  If 'common', then why not change the manual?  There is no 
soldering required on the 64 installation, and limited soldering on the 
128 if you want the burst-mode to be active for the 1571 drives.  (This 
was where my error occurred, in making the burst-mode modification.)  
Although the instructions detail installation well, the burst mode mod 
is later in the manual, requiring you to open up your computer again.  
Why not have the mod right with the 128 instructions, so you can do it 
the first time your system is open?
    The first time out, I spent almost 4 hours on the phone, only to 
find out I had a defective drive.  Roy was very helpful, and after 
finding the problem sent a repaired drive back to me.  From that point 
on (and once my hair started growing back), the drive became 
operational.
    The LT KERNAL has some very sophisticated and detailed functions 
and operations, most of which were out of my realm of computer use.
What interested me most was how well it acted as a storage device, and 
how easy it was to operate.  Well friends, it acts well as a storage 
device, and it ISN'T easy to operate.  It is very effective in 64 mode 
for bulletin board system operations, and for those persons that are 
heavy into programming.  Much of the manual details programming 
utilities that are very powerful and effective.  In 128 mode the LT 
KERNAL is not as efficient, and is more cumbersome to operate.
    You have the ability to load a file with a standard load command, 
and if not found on the LTK, the disk drive will then be accessed and 
loaded.  I found that with the majority of software in 64 or 128 mode, 
this feature worked fewer times than it failed.  Seems the LTK commands 
get in the way of loading from floppy disk.  I even tried changing the 
LTK device number, but most software I tried had to be loaded from disk 
with the LTK off.  A routine called FASTCOPY will allow you to copy 
files over to the LTK to load blazingly fast, and then run.  
Unfortunately, most PD software had to be loaded in the very first part 
of the LTK hard drive, which rendered the rest of my storage space 
virtually useless for the software I tried.  Copyrighted software could 
be copied over to the LTK ONLY in 64 mode, using a built in memory 
archiver called ICQUB (ice cube).  Even with that, if the software does 
not allow multiple disk and drive access, I still could not use it with 
the LTK.  There is precious little software that lets you access more 
than Device 8, drive 1 or 0, but you need that ability to really make 
the LTK work.  Pocket 2 64/128 is configured right, but would not load 
and run with the LTK on.  Even when I tried using the LTK as a second 
drive, for data files (like this newsletter file) etc., I could not 
access the drive to retrieve the files.  Totally discouraging!
    After all this, I started to ask around on Quantum Link to see what 
other uses there were for the LTK hard drive.  What I found out was  
most LTK owners run bulletin board systems (BBSs), and some owners are 
heavy programmers.  There were NO regular end users that had a LTK for 
normal program running and file storage.  Someone said it was their 
opinion that the LTK was meant for developers, and was NOT meant for 
end users like the majority of our members who buy software off the 
shelf.  I agree with that assessment.
    The LTK loaded files VERY fast, handled commands listed in the 
manual well, and performed properly, on what little software I could 
use with it.  If you are a developer or BBS Sysop, the LTK is for you. 
If not, save your money for a second drive, new printer, new software, 
or take your spouse to dinner.  Hmm, for the price of an LTK, you could 
probably do all those things!  Good luck, and enjoy!  MWK