hey folks
my goodness... please not to worry senior! I have "moved" my DAW computer constantly and in ways that would make you cringe, I have carried in the pickup over roads that go places you just wouldn't believe off in the Brooks Range of Alaska (up north of the arctic circle, consult your maps) with the truck slamming over rocks, crossing creeks... thousands of miles of gravel and potholes and thousands more of interstate and backroad (though my computer was wearing its seatbelt!), South Florida to Alaska and back a few times... up and down and all around. oh lor, believe me, you couldn't possibly give it more of a shock than I have given mine thousands of times unless youi drop it out the window onto the sidewalk. In fact, my only cosession was to cut off the body of a bic (TM) pen to make a support post for the outside corner of my PCI card (heavy double cards, PARIS) and I had the Pinnacle card work loose on the last run.
Now I wouldn't use it for volleying tennis balls, but otherwise, I wouldn't worry overmuch., though try not to drop it on the floor too often or roll it down the stairs. Of course, I don't guarantee anything, but my goodness it makes me smile to think you are worried about just moving it about in what I assume is probably not near the level of abuse mine has been through and it just keeps on ticking!
yes I do pack it up in the box the case came in when I bought that, cardboard with a styrofoam foot and top, and pack the rest of the gear in totes with some foam rubber. I do plan to put it in a flight case, but more for ease of handling than protection.
anyway, take a look at some of the pics on my website of a typical tour (in the archive section) and stop worrying. I would worry a lot more about dust, dirt, smoke, and spilled liquids, then worry about locusts, lightning, and alien invasion. Though I wouldn't reccommend kicking, dropping, folding, spindling, or mutilating... though a 3 year old with some colored markers can add a nice homey touch....
oh and I actually inquired with maxtor about the old dos "PARK" command and they said modern drives don't need it and park themselves in normal shut-down.
peace
Folksinger
www.pan.com/folksinger