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T1000 Internal Tape Backup System
In a previous review of a tape backup system we cited a favored cartoon showing a computer user at an open doorway greeting the Grim Reaper with the comment, "I was just about to backup my system". Too often user error or hardware problems result in loss of data, or just as important, loss of critical system files. As large capacity enhanced integrated digital electronics drives have proliferated, the problem of data backup has become more difficult. Older 125Mb tapes with compression could store up to 250Mb, and were once the mainstay of the backup process. Now, they are much too small for a complete backup on one tape. They may even be too small for selective backup. Fortunately, several manufacturers are exploiting the new Travan technology developed by 3M that delivers a measurable increase in performance.
Travan technology
Travan technology marks an evolutionary advancement over the older DC-2000, QIC-80 tapes. The cartridge is a bit larger than the standard QIC-80 tape minicartridge and holds 750ft of tape instead of the original's 307.5ft. The genius in the product is that it is not really rectangular. It is smaller at the front than at the back, leaving space for more tape, but presenting the same read/write area as the QIC-80. In fact, the T-1000 is backward compatible with QIC-80 tapes. The differences between tape formats is actually more complicated than longer length. The Travan cartridge actually is slightly wider at 0.31in. than the older 0.25in. QIC-80. Longer length and more width add up to much more capacity. In native mode a Travan cartridge can hold up to 400Mb of data and, with compression, up to 800Mb. The technology makes backing up even gigabyte drives much easier.
T-1000
While several...