Xref: utzoo comp.sys.amiga:61785 comp.sys.amiga.hardware:2560 Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!twg.com!david From: david@twg.com (David S. Herron) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.sys.amiga.hardware Subject: Backup devices (was: Re: VCR Backup) Summary: Can't find a good system for my A2000 w/A2090 -- Help! Keywords: WangTek, Syquest, removable media Message-ID: <7588@gollum.twg.com> Date: 14 Jul 90 21:17:41 GMT References: <715.26908ABC@weyr.FIDONET.ORG> Reply-To: david@twg.com (David S. Herron) Followup-To: comp.sys.amiga.hardware Organization: The Wollongong Group, Palo Alto, CA Lines: 69 In article <715.26908ABC@weyr.FIDONET.ORG> David.Plummer@f70.n140.z1.FIDONET.ORG (David Plummer) writes: >Digital music can be recorded on VCRs, and with some error checking. In _Amazing_Amiga_'s latest product guide a VCR based backup device is listed (price: $199). There's a note saying they weren't able to contact the company, and sho'nuff you call 'em up and ya get a no-such-phone-number message. They're in Vancouver, BC .. so are they related to any of the Vancouver people on the net? I'm in the market for a backup device. I have an A2000 with A2090a, and in the other corner of the room is an AT&T Unix PC. I need to backup both systems and currently the only media is floppies and since I have yet to do a floppy backup of either system I probably never will. The possibilities I have come up with are: -- GVP with either SyQuest/44 or WangTek 150. -- Corwyn International WangTek 150. -- Bridge card so that I can get access to cheaper PeeCee peripherals. In particular the Colorado Memory Systems floppy-based tape unit. -- The Colorado Memory Systems thing, but ported either to the Amiga or the Unix PC. -- Used Sun3 or Sun386i system with a QIC-60 drive. -- Either SQ/44 or WT/{60,150} hooked to 2090A and write my own driver. According to the tech support at Creative Computers (Ad in AmigaWhirled) claims that the SQ/44 won't work on my 2090A. This sounds *really*WEIRD* because: 1) it's just a disk and 2090A's control disks just fine, 2) I vaguely recall seeing a posting here saying they'd *put* a SQ/44 on a 2090A. I can believe the GVP WT/150 won't work on the 2090A since that's the kind of people GVP are :-). (And, besides, to get a tape drive into the SCSI drivers would require different SCSI drivers than what comes with the 2090A since they're specifically munged up for disk drives.) The CI WT/150 system will work on every SCSI out there -- confirmed over the phone this afternoon. But they're not on the market yet. And in any case they're very pricey. [Aside: In the PC market place I see that WT/60's run ~$350 street price. Therefore I suspect the list price on the drive is ~ $500. The CI WT/150 drive is (listed in A/A's price guide) list price of $1350. Quite a discrepency for a couple drivers and such.. or is there more to the eye than I see?] I don't have the time to write software right now ... I'm much too busy as it is. That rules out a couple of the other options. It appears my best options are these: Switch over to the GVP SCSI controller system and get the WT/150. This would end up costing some Big Bucks (~$1100) since I can't reuse the hard disk I already have (An ST-506 Miniscribe). I'd end up with a much nicer Amiga for my effort, at least. The bridge card with some PeeCee based backup system. The advantage here is price .. I might be able to get away at <$500 by this route. But then I'd have this Really Slow tape drive .. etc .. etc .. bitch .. moan. -- <- David Herron, an MMDF weenie, <- Formerly: David Herron -- NonResident E-Mail Hack <- <- Sign me up for one "I survived Jaka's Story" T-shirt!