Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!tiamat!quintro!bpdsun1!rmf
From: rmf@bpdsun1.uucp (Rob Finley)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Tape Backup?
Message-ID: <1990Jul21.220251.15406@bpdsun1.uucp>
Date: 21 Jul 90 22:02:51 GMT
References: <4334@jato.Jpl.Nasa.Gov> <104088@convex.convex.com>
Reply-To: rmf@bpdsun1.UUCP (Rob Finley)
Organization: Harris Broadcast Div., Quincy, IL
Lines: 30

There are essentially two kinds of tape backup.  The lesser expensive
is based on the QIC-2000 interface.
QIC2000 summary
   Tape:  microcassette size, about 2" wide by 1.5" by 0.25"
          must be formatted before use (can take an hour per).
          Slow transfer rate as it reads one track at a time.
   Hardware:  both 5.25 and 3.5 form factors available.
          Uses standard Floppy disk inteface.  Some can take advantage
          of the faster data rate of 1.2meg floppy interface.

The second type I feel is based on the QIC-36 interface.  QIC36 is more
complicated as electrically, the drive itself rarely has a standard
interface (like SCSI). 
QIC36 summary
   Tape:  "Larger format" four inches deep by six inches wide.
          can be used without formatting.  9 tracks are read
          at the same time for great speed.  Tapes are $20 but
          can hold about 600 megs (quite a few save-sets).
   Hardware:  The less expensive systems have tape drives (no 3.5"
          sorry.) with QIC-36 data interface that connects to
          a separate (sans SCSI) IBM slot controller 
          or the SCSI route will complement
          an SCSI hard drive if you have room for the non IBM
          controller (5.5" by 8").   I have faith that Wangtek
          and Irwin have announced drives with internal SCSI support.
          The QIC 36's should be a fraction of the cost.
Then there is the new 150 meg format of the QIC36...
-----
 "Lets go kick some Earthling butt!" -- Spaced Invaders
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