topic Tape Drives???? in PCs & Accessories

Tape Drives????

GBS — Wed, 23 Mar 2005 14:14:45 GMT

Hi
I need to replace my tape drive at work. I currently have a Travan NS4 drive which can backup 8GB (compressed); this has been OK for 3 years but now we need to increase capacity to 20GB or more.
Sadly I cant just buy a 40GB Travan tape and pop it into the drive as they are not compatible - which seems a bit useless to me!!! So I would like to avoid Imation products if possible (designed obsolescence )

Any advice appreciated.

Re: Tape Drives????

itbroker — Wed, 23 Mar 2005 16:05:12 GMT

Take a look at Lacie. I have a product by myself.

http://www.lacie.com/uk/

Very good quality, cool design e cheap price !

Re: Tape Drives????

seb21__ — Wed, 23 Mar 2005 16:15:43 GMT

I have really no experience with things like these. But would be a Hard drive not better?

Re: Tape Drives????

rich912 — Wed, 23 Mar 2005 18:05:50 GMT

I know nothing about tape drives either, but I understand that REV drives have better speed and storage capacity. This just happened to arrive in my e-mail this morning. It seems expensive to me, but there again I have no idea of the cost of a tape drive.

Re: Tape Drives????

seb21__ — Wed, 23 Mar 2005 18:17:42 GMT

Data Transfer Rate60 MBps (external) / 25.4 MBps (internal)

LOL, that must be a tip error.

Re: Tape Drives????

kee-lo_ — Wed, 23 Mar 2005 19:26:04 GMT

GBS

ebuyer has a huge selection of tape drives, and they're not overly expensive.

www.ebuyer.com

Re: Tape Drives????

GBS — Wed, 23 Mar 2005 19:39:04 GMT

Thanks Fellas
You have certainly given me something to think about. It looks like a removable harddrive might be the way to go...

Re: Tape Drives????

VAIOFAN — Wed, 23 Mar 2005 19:46:41 GMT

Tape drive, can any one tell me about it. havent heard about that? am i missing alot about it?

lol thanks

Re: Tape Drives????

kee-lo_ — Wed, 23 Mar 2005 19:49:52 GMT

Paul

In the old days - people used to backup their valuable data on a tape drive.

This would do it sequentially, so if someone needed a record from lets say 12 November 2003, they had to wind the tape to the right place.

The good thing about them was restoring the data was easy, unless you need one or multiple pieces of data.

Hard disks are now more prefered because they can be read randomly, something tape cannot do.

Re: Tape Drives????

VAIOFAN — Wed, 23 Mar 2005 19:54:40 GMT

thanks Kee- lo

thats very intresting! but no way i would have one of thows lol.

again thanks

Paul

Re: Tape Drives????

kee-lo_ — Wed, 23 Mar 2005 19:56:56 GMT

A hard disk is enough for a home user.

Re: Tape Drives????

GBS — Wed, 23 Mar 2005 20:03:54 GMT

Ja, and have alook at this removable drive
Costs the same as 2 tapes!!!!
The big advantage for tapes is that I carry the previous days backup off site, so if the place burns down I only lose 1 days data at worst. Once I get broadband at work there might be ways to keep the data here - on this lovely hard drive.
Ive just found this one which I can carry off premises at night...

Re: Tape Drives????

VAIOFAN — Wed, 23 Mar 2005 20:07:26 GMT

So tape drives are for more for the Servers?

and still the Servers may still have a Hard disc!

Is a tape drive like a removable storage?

So example when 8GB tape drive is used up you can re insert a new tape?

Re: Tape Drives????

GBS — Wed, 23 Mar 2005 20:32:01 GMT


Is a tape drive like a removable storage? 

So example when 8GB tape drive is used up you can re insert a new tape?

Yes it is removable, you carry the tape with you once it has backed up, a bit like a DVD but its a small cassette the same size (almost) as a music cassette.
Using Retrospect backup, I was able to do an initial backup of the relevant files, then the tape would then only back up all new files so it wouldnt take very long. You could then tape over and over ,as I have used the same 5 tapes for 3 years.

Re: Tape Drives????

VAIOFAN — Wed, 23 Mar 2005 20:35:10 GMT

Now i no very of tape drives

thanks

Re: Tape Drives????

kee-lo_ — Wed, 23 Mar 2005 22:05:48 GMT

Yeah tapes are usually stored in fire proof boxes, and another off-site.

Re: Tape Drives????

VAIOFAN — Thu, 24 Mar 2005 00:20:13 GMT

Aright i done a resarch on the Tape drive and the best place to buy the tapes is..

www.dabs.com

i found this imformation from my totur from college and he siad that he gets the tapes from dab, he uses it for the college server.

ok GBS

Paul

Re: Tape Drives????

GBS — Thu, 24 Mar 2005 13:56:26 GMT

Thanks Vaio-Fan.:smileygrin: :smileygrin: :smileygrin: