Date: Thu, 1 Aug 1996 09:44:10 PST From: "John McNamee" <jpm@microwiz.com> To: deischen@iworks.InterWorks.org, questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: What are DAT tape drives? Message-ID: <199608011643.JAA19059@smoke.microwiz.com>
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> > DAT stands for "Digital Audio Tape" and is a newer form of the original > > casette tape. They are larger (resembling 8mm videotapes) and hold more > > data. Like the casette storage devices of old, many DAT-based tape backup > > solutions have sprung up recently. The cost of the device and tape is > > offset by their incredible storage capacity -- up to 8GB. > > Actually, I think the most common DAT tapes in the computer industry are > the 4mm version. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think there are > also 8mm DAT tapes which are probably the same as the DAT tapes that never > caught on in the music world. The 8mm DAT tapes are roughly the same size > as a regular audio cassette but maybe a little thicker. The 4mm DAT tapes > are about half the size of an audio cassette and a little thinner. The > 4mm DAT tapes come in 60M, 90M, and 120M (DDS-2) lengths. DAT tapes are always 4mm. Prior to DAT becoming commercially available, Exabyte developed a proprietary system based on 8mm video tape. The tapes look similar (except the obvious size difference) and the basic helical scan technology is the same, but 4mm DAT and 8mm Exabyte are not the same thing. To make things even more confusing, Exabyte now manufactures 4mm DAT drives in addition to their proprietary 8mm models. I've had good experiences using both DAT and 8mm drives for backup. I'd lean towards DAT these days because it is standardized, but I'd still consider an 8mm solution if I needed the higher capacity and speed they provide. -- John McNamee <jpm@microwiz.com> MicroWizards Voice: 702-825-3535 / FAX: 702-825-3443 http://www.microwiz.com
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