Re: OFF-TOPIC: Cartridge hard drives [was Re: Backup]

["J. R. Fox" jr_fox@xxxxxxxxxx]

Bill Troop wrote:

> > I consider Syquest and Orb drives the best thing that happened to PCs
> > before the light, affordable laptop.
>
> All I can say Annie, is that a special Providence watches over your HD
> cartridges. And how wise was that Providence to choose so vocal a recipient
> for its favors. Yes, Yes, Yes: I know all the obvious reasons for cartridge
> failure: dirt, dropping, CRTs; please! I was getting these things free as
> review units from the manufacturers, who had a very great interest in
> making sure that what I had worked. But what I had never worked.

All I can say is I guess I've been real lucky too. Heavy and entirely
successful reliance on SCSI DAT cartridge backup since 1997 (but I throw the
media away after 5 to 7 re-use cycles -- or sooner, if it begins to exhibit any
problems -- and use a cleaning cartridge on the drive regularly). I'm also a
heavy Zip user. The drive I bought apparently pre-dates the "Click of Death"
manufacturing quality control problems. (But I use Gibson's TIP utility to
keep tabs on things.) I have so far trashed two Zip disks (out of about 30),
due to clumsy and preventable mistakes on my part. (And anyone who relies on a
Zip Drive should back the disks up on CD-R periodically. Whether they have
Annie's 2nd. Drive or not. Disaster avoidance is all about REDUNDANCY.)

Jordan