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From: greg@pegasus.ifsm.umbc.edu (Greg Sylvain,Lib 007,3929,)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp
Subject: DAT tape drives.. are they worth it...
Message-ID: <3025@umbc3.UMBC.EDU>
Date: 26 Mar 90 23:56:31 GMT
Sender: newspost@umbc3.UMBC.EDU
Reply-To: greg@umbc3.umbc.edu (Greg Sylvain,Lib 007,3929,2476954)
Organization: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Lines: 20


	Hi,

	I heard some distressing news just know. 

	That teh DAT tape drives aren't worth it.  Namely, they weare out
after a relatively short time, the tapes.  And that the tapes have to be 
formatted, witch takes about 3 hours.  This in itself is enough to get someones
interst.  Especially when doing a full backup (to the hp dat drive) only takes 
two hours.  You mean it takes longer to format the tape than it does to do a 
backup !!!  And of coarse, you can buy formatted tapes, but the cost 
doesn't make them worth it.  

	If you give up some 'tape life' for speed,  I'll take the tape life.

	If anyone knows a good source for reference material on this subject,
I'd love to hear from them.

	Thanks,
	greg