Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!necntc!ima!think!ephraim
From: ephraim@think.COM (ephraim vishniac)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Ever heard of VideoTrax backup system?
Message-ID: <17022@think.UUCP>
Date: 23 Feb 88 14:10:58 GMT
References: <364@uvicctr.UUCP> <3394@cup.portal.com>
Sender: usenet@think.UUCP
Reply-To: ephraim@vidar.think.com.UUCP (ephraim vishniac)
Organization: Thinking Machines Corporation, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 29

In article <3394@cup.portal.com> Myron-Meier@cup.portal.com writes:
+In message <364@uvicctr.UUCP>, klash@uvicctr.UUCP (Karl B. Klashinsky) writes,
++I'm looking at buying a backup unit from:

++VideoTrax
++3501 Sunflower
++PO Box 25059
++Santa Ana, CA 92799

++The unit apparently plugs into the Mac as a SCSI device, and acts as
++an interface to a VCR, allowing you to store data on standard Video tapes.
++For VHS, apparently a 3.5 hour tape can store 80 megs.

+Here's some info off their infosheet that I picked up at the show:
+  * Each block of data is copied several times to ensure data reliability.
+    Says that the data on the VideoTrax system is even more reliable than on
+    the hard drive you're backing up. [Sounds great!].
+    Average error rate for a hard disk is 1 bit in 10 to the -10.
                                                              ^^^
+    Average error rate on VideoTrax tape is 1 bit in 10 to the -11.
                                                                ^^^
You can't mean this.  For every bit on your hard disk you get 10^10
errors?  For every bit on VideoTrax tape you get 10^11 errors?  You
won't get far at that rate!



Ephraim Vishniac					  ephraim@think.com
Thinking Machines Corporation / 245 First Street / Cambridge, MA 02142-1214