[rescue] Re: Quick EXB-210 questions

[Robert Novak]

On Sun, 26 Aug 2001, Greg A. Woods wrote:

> > I'm pondering getting one locally, but the one I've found has no key. It's
> > the longish rectangular sort (which is different from the kind I used on
> > an EXB220/L400 from Sun). Are these all identical or are there different
> > versions of the key? Anybody got spares or a pointer on where to look?
> 
> Who needs a key?  :-)

Wrong answer, but thanks for playing. I have one changer already without a
key, and I'd rather have it the way Mr Tapechanger intended.

> > Second question is about the drives. Exabyte only sold them with the
> > 7/14GB 8mm MP drives (Eliant 820 or 8505XL) and Mammoth. Does anyone know
> > if they will work with AIT drives? 
> 
> You cannot get it to work with the AIT drives.  The onboard controller
> knows *WAY* too much about the drive and talks SCSI with it (and maybe
> even monitors it's SCSI transactions too) to keep track of the status of
> the drive.  (Never mind the tape loading issues also mentioned...)

Okay. I guess I'll keep an eye out for something more AIT-friendly. Wish
I'd had the money for those Spectralogics from this past spring. :) 

> (Who the heck would want that junky AIT crap anyway?  It's engineered
> as if a M$ designer was in control -- ultra-stupid!  STAY AWAY!)

Three guesses who would want AIT. Hint: Me. From what I've seen, it has
better access time and similar metrics on everything else compared to
DLT8000 and Mammoth/Mammoth2. 

(I wonder if there is a corollary to the hitler-reference rule that
applies to microsoft references.)

> (If you want a real backup solution though, go DLT -- 

Ew, TK50 on steroids. I gave up on drives you can hear in the next room
when I retired my last QIC-80 drive years ago. But still, whatever crap
works for you works for you.

I've never had anyone give me a really compelling reason to use DLT. I
have a 10/20GB drive here somewhere (I think it's under the rabbit hutch)
but I prefer 8mm. If someone has a spare compelling reason they'd like to
send me free (i.e. DLT7000 or better drive or changer with media) I'll
consider it seriously.

Some nice 4mm changers on ebay tonight... if I could swap them out for
DDS3 or DDS4, it might be worth considering. Other projects coming first
though... maybe in a couple of months.

--Rob
-- 
Robert Novak, Indyramp Consulting * rnovak at indyramp.com * indyramp.com/~rnovak
        "And it's been a long December and there's reason to believe
           Maybe this year will be better than the last...." -- counting crows