RE: Cost of tape drives

Hmmm - your example of backing up a 4GB PC with a 1MB Zip drive would
certainly be a little difficult.  However, as a regular diskette holds
1.44MB I presume you meant a 1GB Zip drive ?   :-)

I wouldn't say a backup option was not viable simply because you would
have to change media 4 times to save the entire system.
And backing up a small AS/400 (4GB or 8GB) on the standard 1/4" tape
than can hold about 3.5GB also could not be classified as being not
viable.  Now if you wanted to add the word 'Unattended" to the backup
description, then I would have to agree.


... Neil Palmer                                     AS/400~~~~~      
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        -----Original Message-----
        From:   DAsmussen [SMTP:DAsmussen@aol.com]
        Sent:   Saturday, January 17, 1998 12:55 AM
        To:     MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
        Subject:        Re: Cost of tape drives

        Neil,

        In a message dated 98-01-14 01:20:05 EST, you write:

        > Why do you say it's a mistake ?  IBM has been hit over the
head to bring
        >  the cost of the base system down and they have done a pretty
good job of
        >  that.  If you want 8mm instead of the standard 1/4" tape then
you pay the
        >  cost.  The direction has been towards 'unbundled' prices.
Would you
        >  rather they jacked up the price of the base system to cover
the
        >  attachment cards for 8mm, when many users would not want them
?
        <<snip>>

        Don't get me wrong, I _love_ what IBM has done with base system
prices.
        However, I was offered a PC with a 4Gb drive and a 1Mb Zip drive
for backup.
        The paradigm is the same.  Would _you_ want to do a full save
from a full 4Gb
        drive to the 1Mb Zip drive?  Could you afford the time and
required media on a
        daily basis?

        Yes, you should pay the cost.  However, unviable backup options
should not be
        offered in the first place...

        JMHO,

        Dean Asmussen
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