Re: Toshiba TD80 Tape drive

[brian.hammack@rook.wa.com (Brian Hammack)]

 Bobryan9@my-Deja.Com chanted almost zenlike:

 BDC| Can I use this drive with the GS?

If it is SCSI and it actually works (got a tape?) then chances are.

    | looks like SCSI, and has no pass-thru connector for connecting
    | more devices.

I hate it when they do that.  :)

 BDC| If I can hook it up to the GS, what do I need to do?  What
    | backup/restore programs are available?

There should be some tape backup programs on the FTP's.  I was once
using a DC2000 40M on my GS but it wound up defective, and recently
have put an APS Tech (SyQuest 88) tape drive on.  Since my SCSI
interface is a RamFast, the firmware has the proper "stuff" to use
the drive.  I figure, but don't know, that the utils which come with
the Apple HS should also be able to manipulate the drive as well.

Theoretically, here's what you'll do:

- If you can set the SCSI ID on the unit, do so to an "open" #
- Put the tape drive on the SCSI chain
- Put a medium into the drive [optional]
- Power up everything (I suggest powering the tape, waiting 10 seconds,
   then powering the computer)
- In the case of a RamFast, you'll be told you have a new device on the
   chain, be able to get details on what it is, and format the tape if
   you have one in there the GS doesn't recognise as ready for data
- In the case of an Apple HS, I don't know what will happen but figure
   that if the drive works you'll be able to get at it with the utils
   if something doesn't pop up at startup.
- When you have a 'ready' media, the tape's partitions will show up on
   the desktop just like if they were regular hard drives... an 80 meg
   tape such as yours can be one HFS disk or three 32 meg ProDOS disks.

Good luck!  Tape drives are pretty excellent for backups, or in the
case of some fast tape drives make for portable "hard disks".  I know
people who don't HAVE hard drives on their GSs, only SyQuest 147M's.

An unrelated aside:  Whenever I find a SCSI storage device, I slap it
on my RamFast and let it tell me what I have.  It's quicker and a bit
more effective than trying to figure out by the label on the HD or the
case, or putting it on the Adaptec 1050-compat SCSI card on my PC, and
the RamFast gives more data and options about the device than the PC.
I've worked with a lot of hard drives, two tape drives, and one CDROM
in this manner, and wouldn't have it any other way.  :)

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