Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site metheus.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!ogcvax!metheus!howard From: howard@metheus.UUCP (Howard A. Landman) Newsgroups: net.unix,net.unix-wizards Subject: Re: abnjh.490 Tapes on Unix Message-ID: <217@metheus.UUCP> Date: Thu, 15-Mar-84 23:52:40 EST Article-I.D.: metheus.217 Posted: Thu Mar 15 23:52:40 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 17-Mar-84 03:53:06 EST References: <497@abnjh.UUCP> <2132@ecsvax.UUCP> <1762@rlgvax.UUCP>, <7175@watmath.UUCP> <490@abnjh.UUCP> Organization: Metheus, Portland Oregon Lines: 35 > As I read your complaint, you want it to be as simple as it was in the > old days, when UNIX ran on minis and you physically hung your own > tape, and set all the options and pushed all the buttons yourself. > What I have been trying to point out is that > **THOSE DAYS ARE GONE FOREVER**. > The mainframes provide a (potentially very) complex tape interface, > because it all has to be done by remote control. You arent allowed > in the computer room, so you cant see what the tape is doing and > correct errors on the fly. UNIX is now running on mainframes (UNIVAC 1100 > series and IBM 370 series, to my personal knowledge. I hear rumors of > Crays and others as well.) It is time for unix tape handling to > grow up. Sorry, Rick, I'm afraid I have to cry "Bullshit!" on this one. While it is true that UNIX now runs on some hefty mainframes, it is also true that UNIX runs on quite a few microcomputers. If you look at the total market for UNIX systems I think you will find that the dollar volume of mainframes is small compared with the dollar volume of smaller systems (VAX-11/780 and below). Autoloading, streaming, rack-mountable tape drives now sell for WELL under $10K. The average price of a UNIX system is dropping, not rising. So from a statistical viewpoint your argument is meaningless. I do about half my work on a 780 and the other half on a 68000-based CAD workstation (guess whose). On the VAX I mount all my own tapes, and so does everyone else, because there is only one tape drive. On the workstation I not only mount tapes, but floppies, and paper and pens (for the plotter) as well. In other words, I want it to be as simple as it is in the new days, when UNIX runs on micros and I physically hang my own tape, and set all the options and push all the buttons myself. And it is. And I love it. **THOSE DAYS ARE JUST BEGINNING** Howard A. Landman ogcvax!metheus!howard