Re: QIC Tape 'Survey'

[rob@xxxxxxxxx]

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Larry, you're restricting down the list of dropped hardware items to too
small a field.

Has IBM dropped other (x) devices from support even if all you've done is
a software upgrade?
1)  Where x=blank.  Yes they have.  Integrated Fax adapters, firewalls,
etc.
2)  Where x=Removable media.  Yes, they have.  8" diskette, 13gb QIC
drive,

Rob Berendt
--
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Benjamin Franklin




Larry Bolhuis <lbolhuis@arbsol.com>
Sent by: midrange-l-admin@midrange.com
12/26/2002 02:26 PM
Please respond to midrange-l

        To:     midrange-l@midrange.com
        cc:
        Fax to:
        Subject:        Re: QIC Tape 'Survey'


Neil,

   I cannot contradict your statement about maintenance in the field,
however,
IMHO IBM's action is not a solution to the problem. They have dropped
SOFTWARE
support for a drive with HARDWARE problems. Maintenance is still supported
so
they haven't helped themselves at all.

   You may be right about the replacement option but I never saw it and
clearly those deals must be gone as the 6383 is also no longer available.
As
for dropping sales of it, no problem - the 16G unit WAS an obvious
replacement. However there have been many (dozens?) of QIC drives dropped
from
marketing but this is the *ONLY one that I am aware of that has been
dropped
from the list of supported drives.

neilp@dpslink.com wrote:
> The 6385 has been trouble since it was first introduced.  Tried to be
too
> backward compatible and it bit them in the ***.   VERY high replacement
> record out in the field for the 6385, so I guess they decided it was
best
> to dump it.  It may have been unfairly criticized in some cases because
as
> it was so backward compatible and could write QIC120 tapes, a lot of
> customers apparently continued to use older tapes on a regular basis,
> which were very abrasive to the newer tape heads.  IBM annouced it's
> withdrawal from marketing sometime in 2000 I believe, and it was stated
> over a year ago that it would no be supported following V5R1.  There
were
> special upgrade deals announced last year to replace the 6385 with a
newer
> QIC model (probably the 6383) but I don't know if they are still in
place.
>
> ...Neil


--
Larry Bolhuis           | IBM Certified Solutions Expert
Vice President          |     iSeries Technology V5 R1
Arbor Solutions, Inc.   |     e-business for AS/400 V4 R2
(616) 451-2500          | IBM Certified Specialist  AS/400
(616) 451-2571 -fax     |     RPG IV Developer
lbolhuis@arbsol.com     |     System Administrator for OS/400 V4 R4
www.arbsol.com          |     Professional Network Administrator
                         |       Network/Multiple Systems
                         |     Client Access


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