rcpilz@ablnc.UUCP (Robert C. Pilz) (04/10/86)
I just read about a new device that can transform a videocassette recorder, (I assume either Beta-format of VHS), into a backup storage system for the PC's hard disk. This seems to be a good alternative to the usual + $1,000 for tape drives with $20 for the cartridg. This $795 system is an add-on card that goes into the expansion slot inside an IBM/compatible PC. This card allows you to record the data from the PC's disk. A $5 (they are getting even cheaper) videocassette can hold 4 times the data on a 10M hard disk. The manufacturer is Alpha Microsystems, 17332 Von Karman, Irvine, CA 92714 My questions are: Has anyone used such a device? If so, how long does it take to do a backup? Are there problems, recommendations? The source of my information: Breakthrough by Boardroom Reports Mar 15, 1986 R. C. Pilz AT&T Orlando, Fl ihnp4!abfll!rcpilz
ins_ayjk@jhunix.UUCP (Young Je Koh) (04/15/86)
In article <169@ablnc.UUCP> rcpilz@ablnc.UUCP (Robert C. Pilz) writes: > > >I just read about a new device that can transform a videocassette >recorder, (I assume either Beta-format of VHS), into a backup >storage system for the PC's hard disk. This seems to be a good >alternative to the usual + $1,000 for tape drives with $20 for >the cartridg. This $795 system is an add-on card that goes into the >expansion slot inside an IBM/compatible PC. This card allows you >to record the data from the PC's disk. A $5 (they are getting >even cheaper) videocassette can hold 4 times the data on a 10M hard >disk. >The manufacturer is Alpha Microsystems, 17332 Von Karman, Irvine, CA 92714 >My questions are: >Has anyone used such a device? If so, how long does it take to do a backup? >Are there problems, recommendations? >The source of my information: Breakthrough by Boardroom Reports Mar 15, 1986 > >R. C. Pilz AT&T Orlando, Fl >ihnp4!abfll!rcpilz The price for just the board ( to hook up your own VCR) is down to around $550 - $590. A package which includes a VCR is around $1300-$1400. I haven't tried it. I just received a brochure from them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Young J. Koh Johns Hopkins Computing Center ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ UUCP : ...{seismo!umcp-cs | ihnp4!whuxcc | allegra!hopkins} !jhunix!ins_ayjk ARPA : ins_ayjk%jhunix.BITNET@wiscvm.WISC.EDU BITNET: ins_ayjk@jhunix.BITNET | INS_AYJK@JHUVMS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
rb@ccird2.UUCP (Rex Ballard) (04/17/86)
The original article was put in net.micro.pc, but is being sent to net.periphs in hopes of getting wider input. In article <169@ablnc.UUCP> rcpilz@ablnc.UUCP (Robert C. Pilz) writes: > > >I just read about a new device that can transform a videocassette >recorder, (I assume either Beta-format of VHS), into a backup >storage system for the PC's hard disk. >My questions are: >Has anyone used such a device? If so, how long does it take to do a backup? >Are there problems, recommendations? I haven't used the Alpha-Micro system, but Corvus also has (had) a "VCR Backup" interface. It worked fairly well (no serious problems), and used the video in/out plugs. As I recall, it was a "pure streamer" and couldn't start/stop, so the whole disk had to be backed up and restored, single file backup wasn't possible. This was several years ago. Backup took about 1 minute/meg. Conservatively, VCR technology can store 1 megabyte per second, and VHS tapes can be packed to 6 hours. Actually, with slight changes in the drive motors, it would be possible to store something like 7 Gigabytes on a VCR (anyone interested in the library of congress :-) unformatted. I remember a guy working on a "helical head tape drive" that used stepper motor tranport, and VCR-like heads with digital comparators and other special modifications to the VCR which could theoretically store 30 Gigabytes. I don't know what happened to it, or him (he was buying the original video disk players in hopes of turning them in to disk drives). Does anybody know what else might be available in "helical head" drives?