[comp.sys.att] PC6386 Tape Drives

ees@antique.UUCP (Gene Sampieri) (01/14/89)

I would like to add a tape drive to several PC6386 machines.  I wouuld
really like to use the 40 meg type that use the floppy controller as in
some of the machines I am limited to board space.  Are there any other
drives besides the ATT units.  Thier price is nearly twice what it should
be.  For instance, a drive made by ARCHIVE Corp. lists for $450 and sells
for $281 from Kierluff.  This unit is supposed to be QIC-40 compatable, but
I cannot get the 6386 setup program to recognize it.  Only the software
that comes with it works.  I need the unit to work with UNIX, and unless
setup sees it, UNIX will not.

Second question;  will the 40 meg unit work with UNIX??

I have calls into the AT&T Hotline, AT&T Product Center and Archive, so
far no one has been able to answer my questions or even return my calls.

(The ATT price for the 40 is $680 and $950~ for the 60.)
(For DOS only application the Archive unit seems to be good, esp. for the 
price.)

Gene Sampieri
AT&T Bell Labs
Holmdel, N.J.
vax135!ees

mvadh@cbnews.ATT.COM (andrew.d.hay) (01/16/89)

In article <2507@antique.UUCP> ees@antique.UUCP (Gene Sampieri) writes:
"I would like to add a tape drive to several PC6386 machines.  I would
"really like to use the 40 meg type that use the floppy controller as in
"some of the machines I am limited to board space.  Are there any other
"drives besides the ATT units?

yes, lots.  (i am assuming you want a qic-40 std. drive)

the cheapest i found (& recommended by our comp. ctr.) was the colorado memory
systems 'jumbo', $300.

"Second question;  will the 40 meg unit work with UNIX??

yes & no.  there are no unix drivers available yet, but there *are* *xenix*
drivers, and unix 3.2 is supposed to be src compatible with xenix, so
perhaps some nice manufacturer will recompile for us. (;^>)

if i could find the qic-40 command set, i might try my hand at hacking up
a driver.  can anyone out there help me?

"I have calls into the AT&T Hotline, AT&T Product Center and Archive, so
"far no one has been able to answer my questions or even return my calls.

my experience with at&t has been largely the luck of the draw.
sometimes you get someone helpful, sometimes not.

-- 
Andrew Hay		+------------------------------------------------------+
Apprentice Polymath	| Yes, the wages of sin ARE death, but after they take |
AT&T-BL Ward Hill MA	| taxes out, it's kind of a tired feeling really       |
mvuxq.att.com!adh	+------------------------------------------------------+