Quantum DLT 2000 Handbook page 132

that any new QIC drive you buy is compatible with your existing
tape cartridges. Incompatibility among QIC drives and tape for-
mats is a real problem that must be considered when purchasing
this type of system.
Like the DLTtape system, QIC systems use a serpentine recording
method. Until recently, QIC systems used a single channel for
read/writes. One vendor has introduced a multi-channel QIC sys-
tem that offers a capacity of 13GB. High end QIC systems now
compete directly with 4mm DAT for workstation and very small
network backup applications.
One QIC version that is growing in popularity at the low end of
the backup spectrum is 3M's Travan TR-4 format cartridges.
Currently, Travan drives offer only 4GB of storage, but are priced
below similar capacity QIC drives. Travan minicartridges use .315"
wide tape. Many manufacturers are adopting the Travan format,
which is good for QIC users who have suffered from an overabun-
dance of "standards." There are currently no library systems avail-
able for QIC drives due primarily to the lack of demand for QIC
systems in large-scale installations.
Optical Options
If access speed, portability and/or permanence figure prominently
on your list of must haves, then optical disk may be an appropriate
storage option for you. Optical disk drives fall somewhere in the
middle between hard disks and tape backup systems. Optical drives
do not have the storage capacity of high end tape systems, nor do
they have the access speed of a hard disk. These drives do, however,
offer some unique benefits that make them ideal for special appli-
cations such as long-term archiving, data distribution, and near
on-line storage.
11.10 DLTtape SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY COMPARED