Good how?
I mean, a Maxtor 540X isn't exactly saintly, insofar as your can apply moral valuations to a disk drive. It's not like they're aiding the sick and needy of Calcutta, is it?
Good to eat? Well, no, not that either. A bit too crunchy for my unrefined tastes. Now, a U6, broiled with olive oil and a tiny bit of lemon pepper and a nice, dry white... anyway, nope, they're not good to eat, either. They're downright bad for your teeth, in fact.
Good as a weapon? I can't say for sure. My 536X makes a satisfying noise when I drop it on the floor, and it doesn't seem like it would come apart easily, so it'd probably serve in a pinch in hand-to-hand combat. I prefer AOL discs for accurate long-range conflict, however, and I find that Compaq's 486-era machines make superior bludgeons. Let's call the 540X fair-to-middling in that regard.
Good as an glider or parachute? Well, I've already mentioned that the behavior of my 536X, when dropped from height, has a tendency to fall and make a satisfying noise. I'd say that it's lacking in parachute-type qualities, and with its bricklike shape, would not likely generate sufficient lift to remain aloft if hoisted skyward. You really need a Western Digital for that sort of thing.
Good stepstools or ladders? There's the rather high cost-per-foot stacking ratio, but Maxtor makes a solid product. I'd say a stack of 540Xs would be a pretty good for that.
Good musical instruments? Hm. Probably not. You really need a SCSI interface and rather a lot more RPMs than the 5400rpm Maxtor has to achieve musical greatness. While the dropping-thud is no-doubt satisfying, it doesn't match the soft percussive joy of its older brother, the 740X, or the constant wall of noise found in some of Seagate's finely-tuned masterpieces.
Good as a boat anchor? There are certainly some more qualified contenders in that field! I think we can safely say that long-term standouts such as Micropolis carry that field, with some of IBM's more recent efforts dredging the sea-floor behind them.
Good as a prop element in a Dogma '99 motion picture? Well, yes. Great, in fact. The Maxtor 540X offers no pretense of enhanced performance, no particular visual flair or exciting special effect, and it's dull thud upon striking carpet is probably as much as a Dogma '99 filmmaker is likely to capture with the recording devices they use.
There you have it. Maxtor 540X. Not a saint. Not a weapon. Not food. Not a parachute. Maybe a stepstool. Not a boatanchor. But a marvelous film prop.
