On Wed, 19 Apr 2000, John Wilson wrote:

> >From: Eric Smith <eric@brouhaha.com>
> 
> >Is the TU16 different than a TE16?  I have a bunch of TE16 drives (with
> >TM03 Massbus formatters) that I haven't yet used.
> 
> I've been wondering the same thing, they seem to have the same Massbus ID.
> I suspect that the difference is TM02 vs. TM03.

I think they are the same drive. I'm not even sure that the formatter
separated them, but that might be it.

> >We had a TU45 on the 11/750 (later replaced by an 8650) at the university,
> >and I don't recall ever having trouble with it, but OTOH I wasn't the one
> >who had to maintain it.
> 
> I've never even tried to wire up a TU45 and run it, but what impressed me
> from poking around the one I had was, simply unlatching it and swinging
> the transport out, was enough to bend the hinges so you can't get it to
> swing back *in*.

The TU45 is a pain the the ass to thread.

> My favorite drive so far is the TU80 (a.k.a. CDC Keystone?).  It's dumb,
> it's slow, but there's just nothing to go wrong!  No vacuum, no supposed
> autothreader (TU77 MUST DIE!), and a nice straight tape path.  And since it
> lies flat, gravity isn't fighting you while you're threading it and trying
> to get the tape to "catch" on the takeup reel for the first time.

Well, I kindof like the TU77 and TU78. TU80s only forgiving attribute is
simpleness. That is nice when you need to get something working, but it's
not something you want to use.

Autothreading is often more pain than gain though. But using the TU7x and
let it semi-automatically thread the tape is really nice. Absolutely
easiest to thread, use and evrything else. Never fails, and it's *fast*.
Once you've run a backup over four tapes you appreciate a TU77 instead of
a TU80. :-)

	Johnny

Johnny Billquist                  || "I'm on a bus
                                  ||  on a psychedelic trip
email: bqt@update.uu.se           ||  Reading murder books
pdp is alive!                     ||  tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol