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From: dwal@ellis.uchicago.edu (David Walton)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Information on DAT drives
Summary: We want information.  Information.  INFORMATION.
Keywords: backup DAT drives tape
Message-ID: <1991Apr10.184710.12818@midway.uchicago.edu>
Date: 10 Apr 91 18:47:10 GMT
Sender: dwal@midway.uchicago.edu (David Walton)
Organization: University of Chicago, Academic and Public Computing
Lines: 40

Customary query disclaimer:  I'm not sure if this has been discussed
here recently; if so, I'd be grateful if someone could send me a
summary.

My department will shortly purchase a backup system for backing up a
couple of large hard disks (200 and 600 Mb, respectively) for a couple
of AppleShare servers we have.  We will also use it for individuals to
back up their individual machines as well.  We're considering a DAT
drive to use with Retrospect for this purpose.

Does anybody have any experience using DAT drives?  Recommendations?
Horror stories?  (Amusing anecdotes, even?)  I'm interested in hearing
specifics about any models that you've used, including

	* reliability (of the hardware) and/or service;

	* speed (though I understand that there's not much difference
          between different units in this regard);

	* storage capacity;

	* cost (both of the drive and of the tape it uses).


I understand that there are two or three different mechanisms (Sony,
Wang, and other), but I know very little about the differences between
them; I'd welcome anything you could say to enlighten me.

The usual concluding stuff: please respond via electronic mail, and if
there's sufficient interest, I'll summarive the results to this group.

Thanks in advance.




-- 
David Walton            Internet: dwal@midway.uchicago.edu
University of Chicago   {  Any opinions found herein are mine, not  }
Computing Organizations {  those of my employers (or anybody else). }