Quantum DLT 2000 Handbook page 131

effort. Such efforts can very easily get bogged down by conflict
between the competing interests of the partners. Second, unlike
Super DLTtape systems, Mammoth-2, or AIT-2, there is no
installed base of Ultrium products. Therefore, any user who
decides to move to the Ultrium technology must either maintain
their previous technology in order to be able to access archived
data, or go through the process of converting all their archived
data to a new format, or simply abandon archived data.
Quarter-Inch Tape (QIC)
The quarter-inch tape cartridge (QIC) was first introduced in 1972
by the 3M Company as a means to store data from telecommunica-
tions and data acquisition applications. This was long before PCs
came into being.
As time passed, QIC became an accepted data storage system offer-
ing compact, easy to use cartridges. QIC tapes come in two form
factors: 3.5" minicartridges and 5.25" data cartridges. The minicar-
tridge uses either quarter-inch or .315" (Travan) wide tape. Data
cartridges use only quarter-inch wide tape.
QIC tape cartridges look much like audio tape cassettes, with two
reels inside, one with tape and the other for takeup. The reels are
driven by a belt built into the cartridge. A metal rod, known as a
capstan, projects from the drive motor and pinches the tape
against a rubber drive wheel. This capstan drive system is a major
source of tape wear and contamination – dirt and other particles
can be ground into the tape by the capstan pressure.
While QIC systems are generally a low-cost option, especially for
single workstation backup, storage capacity is limited and QIC
libraries are rare. Another drawback is incompatibility. Because of
changing standards over the years, you must be careful to check
QUANTUM DLTtape HANDBOOK 11.9