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From: rdd@access1.digex.net (R. D. Davis)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: Tape Backup Options
Date: 20 May 1996 08:50:28 -0400
Organization: Society for the Obsolescence of Obsolescence
Lines: 31
Message-ID: <4nppqk$941@access1.digex.net>
References: <4n5l94$rqq@csugrad.cs.vt.edu> <4nb2d0$20d@uriah.heep.sax.de>
NNTP-Posting-Host: access1.digex.net
In article <4nb2d0$20d@uriah.heep.sax.de>,
J Wunsch <joerg_wunsch@uriah.heep.sax.de> wrote:
>jaitken@csugrad.cs.vt.edu (Jeff Aitken) wrote:
>QIC 40/80 enhancements. You are free to call them `crap', that's why
>they are so cheap.
This reminds me of how a tiny piece of dust caused one of those tiny
Archive 250 tape drive to fail - those little nylon gears get their
sprockets clogged rather easily and need to be cleaned with a pin.
Urrggh!
>[...]
>Even DAT is called crap by many people...
It may be useful for backups, but I wouldn't want to have to depend
upon it for long-term storage - I'd much rather use 9-tack magtapes.
The same goes for those little tiny 3-1/2" microfloppies - they're not
as dependable as 8" floppies. It appears that newer technology is
more about having new-fangled gadgetry, that is as small as possible,
not reliability or durability.
After I get FreeBSD installed, I'll have to add an additional floppy
controller, set it for DSHD 5-1/4" drives and attach an 8" Shugart
floppy drive to it. This would be a good way be being sure that one
has good, dependable, boot floppies.
--
R. D. Davis * http://www.access.digex.net/~rdd * Computer Preservationist
PERQ Logic Systems & Unconventional Computer Consulting
divisions of Transpower Industries, Inc. +1 410 744-4900