Help on tape drive interoperability/reliability

[Chip Rosenthal]

In article <1990Nov20.000121.23207 at ico.isc.com>
	rcd at ico.isc.com (Dick Dunn) writes:
>rajs at hpindda.cup.hp.com (Rajeev Seth) writes:
>> Everex tech support told me that it is not good enough that two different
>> tape drives/machines read/write QIC-24 because the controller card for the
>> drive has some security PAL chip [...]
>Not only do we not find it to be true with other brand drives; I barely
>find it believable.

Of course not.  If they did that, it wouldn't be QIC-24 anymore!

I think the confusion might be that Bell Tech used to OEM somebody's tape
controller card (Everex?) and there was a PAL which prevented the adapters
and drives from being interchanged.

But as far as media compatibility, if a drive can write QIC-24, then it
can swap tapes with a drive which can read QIC-24.  If it can't, then one
of the two is broke.

Three cheers for standards.

-- 
Chip Rosenthal  512-482-8260  |  We was raising insurance premiums, ma.
Unicom Systems Development    |  We was spreading fear of arson.
<chip at chinacat.Unicom.COM>    |   - Michelle Shocked