[Duo2400] Re: DAT drives. Re: [Duo2400] Re: Mysterious hard drive problem SOLVED

[ElBrio at aol.com]

In a message dated 9/11/03 12:27:22 AM, g_alan_e at yahoo.com writes:

<< > Mea Culpa; I should have said DDS drive, but most
> folks know them as DAT 
> drives....same physical format, but DDS tapes have
> different composition, etc and 
> optimized for data.   If you want some SERIOUS
> storage, look at some of the 
> DDS jukeboxes....think there was an HP which could
> hold a couple of terabytes of data.

DAT tapes look like a much shrunken VHS. They also use
a similar helical scan with the head drum tilted
at an angle. The really big difference is the audio
or data is stored digitally. You can use ordinary
audio DAT tapes for storing data, but should you
have a problem and expect your insurance company to
pay off, you should use the tapes marked "data grade"
or somesuch. ;) DAT tape is 4mm wide.

ISTR that there are data storage drives which use
the 8mm video tape. Same physical characteristics but
a bit larger overall. >>

Yup...the data grade tapes are DDS.  Heh..I had an Exabyte drive, 8mm....lost 
more data than it would store.  Finally sold it (someone was looking for 
one...the Roadrunner couldn't have kept up with me selling that thing to him) and 
got the DDS 4mm drive....MUCH better.

Andrew