sastdr@unx.sas.com (Thomas David Rivers) (08/24/90)
I'm looking to buy a tape drive for my '386 clone - is there any kind of "standard" out there - such that a driver written for tape system A will work on tape system B. I'm including in the definition of "tape system" the controller, etc... Stated simply, is tape system A hardware compatible with tape system B? - Dave Rivers - -- | Time sharing: The use of many | - Dave Rivers - SAS Institute, Cary NC | | people by the computer. | sastdr@sas.com (work) | | | rivers@ponds.UUCP (home) |
marshall@wind55.seri.gov (Marshall L. Buhl) (08/25/90)
sastdr@unx.sas.com (Thomas David Rivers) writes: > I'm looking to buy a tape drive for my '386 clone - is there any > kind of "standard" out there - such that a driver written for tape system > A will work on tape system B. I'm including in the definition of "tape > system" the controller, etc... Stated simply, is tape system A hardware > compatible with tape system B? We've standardized on the SY-TOS software from Sytron Corp. I know it works on both Archive Viper 150s and Wangtek 5150s. Compaqs and Dells use the Wangtek drives. I bought Archive drives for an Everex and a Dolch. We have successfully swapped tapes amongst the various drives and machines. I'm not real happy with SY-TOS. I've found bugs. I also HATE their support policies. They insist that you sign a license agreement and return it before they even let you know what their support number is. I work in a government lab and it takes months to get a signature. I've only tried once. For the other 15, I just write a note that I can't get our lawyers to sign it. I've NEVER heard back on any of those. Some of those were two years ago. I also have never talked to them the day I wanted them. They close real early (I'm Mountain time) and I always have to leave a message. But, it does usually work and allows us to swap tapes between systems. I'll probably stick with them until I hear of a better device independent tape program. Maybe they'll come to their senses. -- Marshall L. Buhl, Jr. EMAIL: marshall@seri.gov Senior Computer Missionary VOICE: (303)231-1014 Wind Research Branch 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401-3393 Solar Energy Research Institute Solar - safe energy for a healthy future