[comp.sys.mac.hardware] Recommend backup software for Apple Tape Drive?

stuart@cbnewsc.att.com (S. D. Ericson) (06/06/90)

I recently swapped some old hardware for an Apple Tape Drive.  I
have heard that the apple software is slow, and maybe unreliable
under multifinder.  I understand that I could get much better
performance (and storage?) with Fastback, Retrospect or such.  I
seem to recall that Retrospect had special 'speed-ups' for the Apple tape.

I have Redux, but it doesn't seem to know about Tape Drives.

Does anyone have any recommendations?  Any further information about
the drive?  I don't want to spend $100 or $150 for nothing.

I'll be glad to summarize to the net...

Thanks,

Stuart
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dplatt@coherent.com (Dave Platt) (06/09/90)

In article <1990Jun6.133940.17783@cbnewsc.att.com> stuart@cbnewsc.att.com (S. D. Ericson) writes:

> I recently swapped some old hardware for an Apple Tape Drive.  I
> have heard that the apple software is slow, and maybe unreliable
> under multifinder.  I understand that I could get much better
> performance (and storage?) with Fastback, Retrospect or such.  I
> seem to recall that Retrospect had special 'speed-ups' for the Apple tape.

ExpressTape (formerly FastTape) works with the Apple drive, as well as
with other block-mode and streaming-tape drives.  The publisher says
that it speeds up the Apple drive by about 400%, compared to the Apple
software.  I've been using it with my Teac streaming-tape drive;  it
works well and is quite fast.

ExpressTape lists for $150; you may be able to get it for significantly
less from MacConnection or a similar outfit.  In fact, the MacWeek
article says that "ExpressTape is $25 for owners of the Apple tape
drive, as well as for those with Nuvo Labs software bundled with third
party tape drives... owners must send in a copy of the label of their
program floppy, plus the name of the manufacturer, the model number and
serial number).

ExpressTape is published by Baseline (901-682-9676 or 800-926-9676).  I
suggest that you give them a call... if you can get ExpressTape for the
$25 price, it'd be a very hard deal to beat.

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