Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!ttrdc!rdr
From: rdr@ttrdc.UUCP (Bob Rindfuss)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Tape Backup Unit Advice
Message-ID: <2646@ttrdc.UUCP>
Date: 6 May 88 01:42:59 GMT
References: <15357@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU>
Organization: AT&T, Skokie, IL
Lines: 36

In article <15357@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU>, esr@beach.cis.ufl.edu (Edward Roepe) writes:
> I am currently in the process of buying a tape backup unit for my pc.
> I would like some advice on experiences that others have had with
> specific brands and models. Here are the specifications.
> 
> IBM PC/XT with 30mb hard disk, 640k, dos 3.1
> Price range: under 500 (discount)
> Internal unit (1/2 ht) preferred
> backup to be done on single tape (all 30mb)
> file-by-file and image capabilities
> incremental backup would be nice (optional)
> multiple volumes on single tape (optional)
> 
> I have used the tecmar external unit with good success
> 
> I am currently looking at units from mountain and everex  
> 
> Thanks in advance. Ed

I use the 40mb unit from Mountain.  Does everything you asked for, except
I'm not sure about DOS 3.1 (may need 3.2) or multiple volumes on a tape.  It
is that same as the various Irwin drives, which use your floppy controller
as the interface into your system.  Your floppy controller HW thinks it's
drive B:.  Their software does cutesy things like using a certain number of
step pulses in a row to mean a certain command on the tape drive.  Cute idea -
saves a slot in your PC, but it's slow.  If you get one of these, BE SURE one
tape will hold your entire drive. I backup 32 Meg partitions and it takes about
40 minutes.  So you want to be able to start a backup and let it run while you
go to lunch/home.  You DON'T want to have to change tapes in the middle of the
operation.

BTW, the price was good - $328 at a discount store, including SW.  The tapes
are not so cheap - ~$20 each.

Bob Rindfuss
...ihnp4!ttrdc!rdr