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From: mbrown@testsys.austin.ibm.com (Mark Brown)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.aix
Subject: Re: Tape terror
Message-ID: <7752@awdprime.UUCP>
Date: 20 May 91 18:37:27 GMT
References: <7572@spdcc.SPDCC.COM> <7552@spdcc.SPDCC.COM> <3931@d75.UUCP>
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Reply-To: mbrown@testsys.austin.ibm.com (Mark Brown)
Distribution: usa
Organization: IBM Austin, TX
Lines: 26

rbraun@spdcc.COM (Rich Braun) writes:
|ken@dillman.austin.vnet.ibm.com () writes:
|>Try changing the automatic retension feature of the tape drive to off
|>using SMIT.  That should save you a great deal of time every time you
|>load a new tape.
|Thanks for posting this.  I got several e-mail replies suggesting the
|same thing.
|
|A question for IBM:  why _in the world_ would a company put out a product
|which by default would do such a thing?  It really makes the system seem
|-rich

Because new, "un-tensioned" tapes can cause problems. If I were to read the
little piece of paper that I throw away after unwrapping a brand-new
tape, I'd find something like "please unwind and rewind the tape before
use", otherwise known as "preconditioning".

Given IBM's predilection for trying to do everything *for* the customer,
it's no surprise to me that retensioning is the default.

Perhaps it shouldn't be....

Mark Brown    IBM PSP Austin, TX.     (512) 823-3741   VNET: MBROWN@AUSVMQ
MAIL: mbrown@testsys.austin.ibm.com OR uunet!testsys.austin.ibm.com!mbrown
      DISCLAIMER: Any personal opinions stated here are just that.
    A straw vote only shows which way the hot air blows.  -- O. Henry