mlj8e@dale.acc.Virginia.EDU (Michael L. Johnson) (06/14/89)
Now that SGI is marketing an 8mm Exabyte type tape drive I was wonder where to get the tapes. Do these drives really need "data cartridges" or can they use the 8mm VHS tapes from K-mart? Is there a good supplier of 8mm data cartridges at a reasonable price? (804)-924-8607 Michael L. Johnson mlj8e@virginia.EDU Pharmacology Dept. uunet!virginia!mlj8e Box 448; Univ. of Va. mlj8e@virginia.BITNET Charlottesville, Va. 22908
TNIELAND@FALCON.BERKELEY.EDU (Ted Nieland - SRL) (06/14/89)
The Exabyte units use the 8mm VHS tape from any vendor. I would recomend going with the high quality tape (costs about $10 a tape). We have been using an 8mm tape drive on a different vendors computer for over a year now and are extremely pleased with it. We can backup 2 gigs on one tape and don't have to have an operator changing tapes constantly. Ted Nieland TNIELAND@AAMRL.AF.MIL
markb@denali.sgi.com (Mark Bradley) (06/14/89)
In article <550@galen.acc.virginia.edu>, mlj8e@dale.acc.Virginia.EDU (Michael L. Johnson) writes: > Now that SGI is marketing an 8mm Exabyte type tape drive I > was wonder where to get the tapes. Do these drives really > need "data cartridges" or can they use the 8mm VHS tapes from > K-mart? Is there a good supplier of 8mm data cartridges at > a reasonable price? > (804)-924-8607 Michael L. Johnson > mlj8e@virginia.EDU Pharmacology Dept. > uunet!virginia!mlj8e Box 448; Univ. of Va. > mlj8e@virginia.BITNET Charlottesville, Va. 22908 Although any decent 8mm tape should work, the vendor suggests that one purchase Exabyte supplied tapes or the Sony tapes for best reliability. SGI endorses only the Sony tapes that Exabyte themselves have qualified and do resell under their own name. You could buy these tapes from SGI, too. I don't know what the lead time is. Minimum order quantity is a box of 10. SGI part number for this is X4-VC20; price is $500/box(10). Priced to keep us out of the media supply business, I suppose. :{) Actually, we probably lose money on these, due to the fact that processing the order, generating paperwork, doing the buying, planning, material control, etc. cost more than the price of the tapes. Either the Sony or Exabyte/Sony tapes are your most price/reliability competitive product in 8mm media. We have not qualified any other media for this drive, and hence do not suggest/endorse use of any other tapes. Personally, I do not intend to use other media for my backups due to lack of process control that leads to media defects, coercivity variations and the like. The drive and driver are quite forgiving of media flaws, generally speaking, but I feel safer using media that has been thoroughly tested in tough environments with positive results. markb -- Mark Bradley "Faster, faster, until the thrill of IO Subsystems speed overcomes the fear of death." Silicon Graphics Computer Systems Mountain View, CA ---Hunter S. Thompson
ciemo@bananapc.wpd.sgi.com (Dave Ciemiewicz) (06/15/89)
In article <8906141127.aa12363@VMB.BRL.MIL>, TNIELAND@FALCON.BERKELEY.EDU (Ted Nieland - SRL) writes: > The Exabyte units use the 8mm VHS tape from any vendor. Just to clear up some confusion, there is no such thing as an 8mm VHS tape. There are 8mm video tapes. There are 1/2 inch (12.7mm) VHS, VHS-C (compact format), and Beta tapes. None of these tapes is physically compatible with the other with the exception of VHS-C which can be used in a VHS deck by means of a special adapter. Also, the signal characteristics and recording formats used by 8mm, VHS, and Beta are different, so even if they all used the same physical media, 8mm, VHS, and Beta would be incompatible. Don't go looking for blank 8mm VHS at your local record/video store as the pimple faced kid behind the counter will just stare blankly at you. (That is more so than usual.) -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dave Ciemiewicz - ciemo@sgi.com Silicon Graphics Computer Systems "We're working on the pipeline ... taking from the 2D giving to the 3D" (Apologies to Depeche Mode) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
rpaul@dasys1.UUCP (Rod Paul) (06/20/89)
Try J & R Music World here in Manhattan, you may get the 'ol NY treatment on the phone initially, but hang in there. Their consumer prices alone are great. They carry SONY 8mm.