jtara@m2-net.UUCP (Jon Tara) (04/24/88)
In article <280@bby-bc.UUCP>, john@bby-bc.UUCP (john) writes: > In article <1710@van-bc.UUCP>, sl@van-bc.UUCP (pri=-10 Stuart Lynne) writes: > . > . > . > > Bell Technologies sells this under their own name, with drivers for System > > V/286 or 386 and Xenix 286/386/SCO/IBM. > > > > Unfortunately for you, rumour has it they have very slightly modified the > > controller to allow their driver to distinguish their own version from the > > generic version to prevent anyone from pirating the software. > > > > This is true - I called them last year and asked about it and was told > they do modify a gate array (as I recall) for just that purpose. Many, many moons ago I bought a Tecmar external tape backup, on the promise (from Tecmar) that the drivers were coming "real soon now." This also uses a Wangtek drive with controller in the external case and a QIC-02 adaptor. Tecmar finally referred me to Bell, which refused to sell the software seperately, but instead tried to sell me one of THEIR backup units at a "substantial discount." I said thanks, but I already have the hardware, I just need the software and I'm willing to pay you more for it than your profit on the hardware. No dice. Tecmar said that I could make this work by putting a QIC-36 controller in my machine, chucking the QIC-02 and the controller in the external cabinet. I said "thanks, but I already have..." I'm not so sure that Bell really is changing a gate array simply to make the thing uncompatible - the whole problem stems in the first place from a single-bit difference in a control register between the QIC-02 adaptor and the QIC-36 controller, making QIC-36 software not work on a QIC-02. (Whatever that bit is, is isn't used in Tecmar's DOS software, which happily runs with either board.) I was told, time and time again, that "it's a simple patch, and we're giving it to SCO." Then, "we'll be able to sell you a new gate array soon." Then "we don't have enough demand, we decided not to do the gate array." Two years later, it looks like SCO Xenix 2.2.3 is going to support the QIC-02. Real Soon Now. (Oh, yea, Tecmar offered to sell me one of their new series backups, which comes with driver software, at a "substantial discount". Thanks, but...) -- jtara%m-net@umix.cc.umich.edu ihnp4!dwon!m-net!jtara "If this is all a dream, I can't wait to see what it's like when I wake up." - Explorers
dyer@spdcc.COM (Steve Dyer) (04/25/88)
If you have a Tecmar external tape drive with a short-slot card (minimal logic, the real controller is in the tape enclosure), you can get a XENIX 286 driver from Colorado Memory Systems, Loveland Colorado. I've never used it, but chased this down. Last year, I ended up switching to a 386 system, and they didn't have a 386 driver at the time. Things may be different now. -- Steve Dyer dyer@harvard.harvard.edu dyer@spdcc.COM aka {ihnp4,harvard,husc6,linus,ima,bbn,m2c}!spdcc!dyer