Table of Contents
Figure 1. from vogons.org
Drives
PCMCIA or Parallel Port
AR-2250SP
Figure 2. Parallel Port Adapter Cable
PCMCIA Model, also Parallel Port model. The drive is the same with different connection used. Interface port is same connector as Noteworthy PCMCIA CDROM and Imation Superdrive USB mechanism.
Internal
AR-2170NI
Figure 3. Internal drive for unknown laptop. From eBay.
Internal Notebook model - 170MB. P/N: FAB 20042-2003 20042-3003
Note that the drive should never be transported with a disk in it, so the above drive and disk are probably toast.
3.5 combo
Figure 4. 3.5in/250MB combo drive, from computerhistory.org
This version was a floppy drive that integrated an AR-2170NI drive
Media
HARDiskettes
130MB / 210MB
In January 1996, they secured their first new design win in two years with Acer, who offered Avatar’s new 130-MB removable cartridge hard drive (rebranded as the HARDiskette) on some of their laptop models. [..] In January 1997 they delivered a 210-MB version of the HARDiskette.
Unsure if the 130/210MB disks are the same form-factor as the 170/250MB disks, or if they are compatible.
170MB / 250MB
There were 170MB disks as well as 250MB disks, and the 250MB drive can read and wrtite 170MB disks.
Figure 5. from mirror of http://goavatar.com/faq.htm
Figure 6. 170MB HARDiskette, from computerhistory.org
Misc Other
FAQ
From the Internet Archive copy of http://goavatar.com/faq.htm.
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about the Avatar Shark:
Q: What is the best replacement for my Avatar Shark drive?
A: There are a number of different options you should consider and it depends on what you are trying to accomplish. CD burners are cheap but can be touchy to use. External hard drives have the greatest capacity, but are not as portable. The most direct replacement is the Iomega Zip 750 MB.
Q: Will the Avatar Shark work with Windows 2000 Professional?
A: Yes and no. While Avatar did not sick around long enough to develop a driver for Win 2K Pro, we have had some success using the Windows NT 4.0 driver available from TechAdvice.com. It gave us some error messages and we had to load it twice, but we did ultimately get it to work. There is also a driver available at DriverGuide.com that although we have not tested it ourselves, it has gotten some good reviews.
Q: Will the Avatar Shark work with Windows XP?
A: We have not tried it, but since Windows XP is built on the NT kernal, you might try the Windows NT 4.0 drivers. Let us know if you have some success. There is also a driver available at DriverGuide.com that although we have not tested it ourselves, it has gotten some good reviews.
Q: Will the Avatar Shark work with Windows 98 or ME?
A: Yes, the Shark works fine with Windows 98 & ME, but you should use the latest version of the parallel port driver available from TechAdvice.com. The version 1.0 driver that comes in the box will freeze your computer.
Q: Where can I send my Shark drive for repair?
A: We are not aware of anyone that is doing repair work on these drives. If you know of anyone who is repairing these, we’d love to know so please let us know.
Q: My drive will not eject the disk, how do I get it out?
A: Power off your drive by shutting down your computer, then insert a straightened paper clip into the small hole directly under the drive door opening. This should eject the disk. If you drive continues to fail to eject the disk either through the software or the red button on the back, the eject mechanism is faulty. If you can’t live with that, you will have to replace the drive.
Q: I can not insert a disk into the drive, there seems to be some obstruction.
A: For some reason the drive has detected a disk present and has raised the drive platter. While holding the red button on the back of the drive in, insert a straightened paper clip into the small hole directly under the drive door opening. This should cause the drive to "eject" the phantom disk and allow you to insert a disk into it.
Q: I have a some 170 MB Avatar disks, will they work in the 250 MB Shark Drive?
A: Yes the Shark 250 is backward compatible to the 170 MB and should read and write to those disks. We have not tried any other avatar disk other than the 170 MB in the Shark.
Q: Can I use my Shark drive with Linux?
A: Yes, with some work. A fellow Shark driver has provided this description of how to set up a PC Card Shark for Linux. You can also check out this page as a good resource for IDE parallel interface drives under Linux: http://www.torque.net/parport/paride.html
Q: Did Avatar ever make a USB or SCSI version?
A: We have never seen either a SCSI or USB version unfortunately, although Avatar did announce a SCSI version at the '97 Comdex show in this press release.
**Q: When I try to open the directory for my Avatar Shark it makes a series of 10 beeps then goes silent. This sequence keeps repeating until I get an error message. I can never access the files on the Shark.
A: This is a common problem with the Sharks. It appears that the drive will "freeze", particularly when it has not been used for a long period. It will just make that characteristic beeping noise and never mount. We have found that 80% of the time you can cure this problem by heating the drive to 130°F for about 30 minutes. Don’t get the drive too hot, or the case will melt! An oven will probably be too hot and hard to control the heat. Try putting it on the dash of your car on a warm sunny day. If this resolves the problem and you use your Shark regularly, it will probably continue to work. If you let it sit for a long time, you may have to repeat the process.
Do you have a tech tip about the Avatar Shark that you would like to share? Send it to us and we will try and post it on the web site somewhere.