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Pastimes : Dream Machine ( Build your own PC ) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Clarence Dodge who wrote (2933)	10/14/1998 9:37:00 PM
From: Zeuspaul	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 14778

KOT drives...Removable media reliability Actually it was the backup to tape software (Retrospect) that was consistantly in error for certain files. My complete system transfers to Jaz have always worked well. I was referring to the Macworld post you referenced macworld.zdnet.com A few excerpts on the reliability of removable magnetic media. Tape would also be considered magnetic media IMO. There's one problem, however, and it's a big one. These popular removable-cartridge drives are necessary evils. They're necessary because they've become the de facto standard for swapping large files; they're evil because they're inherently more failure-prone than a common, garden-variety hard drive. __________________________________________________________ Because of their less-than-sterling reliability, no magnetic-media drive is an ideal backup system. However, any backup is better than no backup, so if your only removable-cartridge drive is a SyJet, Jaz, Zip, or SuperDisk, by all means use it to back up your system. But take all the necessary precautions, such as backing up onto more than one set of cartridges and treating your backup cartridges with more than the usual amount of tender loving care: keep them in their protective cases, don't stack them on top of one another, and don't use them for other purposes. ____________________________________________________ But if you want--and can afford--the ultimate in convenience and security for desktop backup, look to optical technology: a magneto-optical drive is your best bet. Sure, magneto-optical (MO) drives are slow, but their reliability is light-years ahead of that of any magnetic-media cartridge drive. _______________________________________________ Also, don't ignore tried-and-true tape technology. If you're backing up a lot of data, a digital-audiotape (DAT) drive may be the way to go--and you can pick one up for around $600. _______________________________________________ You'd be crazy to use a magnetic-media drive for long-term storage of important data--magnetic-media cartridges are both too expensive and too delicate for reliable long-term storage. You'd be better off using magneto-optical cartridges or CD-R discs, which offer both low media costs and long shelf lives. ________________________________________________ My take on this is removable magnetic media should be handled with care, ie keep it in a case away from magnetic sources and dust. >>>Is the SparQ external SCSI?<<< No... only IDE currently. So, they must provide some kind of IDE controller card for external drives? This would not provide for the expandability you would get with a JAZ2 drive on a SCSI card. What.. you have a network of computers on that boat but no cell phone?. or are you in ship-to-shore range? Two cell phones and two ship to shore on the boat. Using a cell phone for the privilege of waiting on hold? I will email them if I need help. I'll put some more time into it myself first. I am getting closer to an NT IDE load. Zeuspaul