🚀 go-pugleaf

In <3foe5o$835@cpcug.org>, kbennett@cpcug.org (Keith Bennett) writes:
>A client is considering including internal tape drives in new systems
>purchased from Dell Computer that will run OS/2.  Dell says that the
>units are manufactured by Conner.  They come in 250 MB and 400 MB
>capacities (priced $179 and $199).  (Both capacity figures are
>optimistic compression estimates.)  Both use the same DC 2120 tape
>cartridge and connect to the IDE controller.  Some questions:
>
>1) This is the first I've heard of squeezing more onto the DC 2120
>cartridge than the usual 250.  Is this common, and is it reliable?
>
The 400 does not use a 2120 tape, the 350 does but it is just a longer tape.
>
>2) Is there OS/2 software available that would allow us to install
>the entire hard drive contents (including the operating system) from
>a floppy boot?
>
Yup but there is no OS/2 support for the 400's full features.  I have 
heard about being able to write tapes with 250 software but you can't 
format the tapes. I would suggest DualStor for a 250, the Conner and 
DualStor are great.  I would expect some vendors to add 400 & 800 
support sooner or later, but I doubt it will be in the next few
months, probably longer.  Backmaster by MSR is the other product.  Both 
of these are in the $50 range.  products in the $100 range are definately
not any better, but some do add SCSI support.  Niether of these two do.
Both are PM based with a boot disk emergency backup.  I think DS is
better and cheaper, so long as the drive is supported.  Backmaster adds
some but not all parallel port support (not Trakker yet)  CMS makes software
(rehashed Backmaster), but ONLy for CMS drives.  Conner I believe was
reselling something else, but I'm not sure they do any more.

I think you can use the 250 tapes
in the 400 drives, so you may be able to use them til the 400
support is available.  The cost / MB is higer for the 400 tapes as
they are new.    Using 250's for the time being could be cheaper
depending on how much you back up and how full the last
tape in any multi tape backup is.

The only problem with the 400 and OS/2 is that until official support
is available, you could get a big run around from the software
suppliers if you run into trouble. "I'm sorry that drive is not
officially supported" will be the first words you hear.

As far as reliability the only issue I've heard about is the new 800, double
density QIC Wide tape from SONY.  They are the only makers of the tape.
#m won't be making them and have teamed up with HP (CMS Div) to
come out with a competing standard.  They could be the reason for it, but
in reality all the big profits are made by the tape makers not the drive makers,
so if there was money to be made they would surely make them.  3M does not
feel the 800 tapes are reliable, but SONY does. You pasy your money and 
takes your chances.  It will take at least a few years to really prove this
so as with all new technology I'ld wait a little bit on the 800 stuff.  If it
were any other technology than backup I might be willing to take more risk, 
but backups need to be solid.

>Thanks for any help.
>- Keith
>
>-- 
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Keith Bennett                            Bennett Business Solutions, Inc.
>C++/C Software Development               1852 Middlebridge Drive
>kbennett@cpcug.org                       Silver Spring, MD USA 20906


Paul M Blais - pblais@mr.net - St Paul, MN