Maidenhead, Berkshire-based Tape Pro Systems Ltd has begun distributing San Diego, California-based Overland Data Inc’s L490E half-inch cartridge tape drive, which enables users to write to, and read from IBM mainframe tapes. The drive was launched in the US at the end of last year and since then Tape Pro has sold a number to personal computer users who need information from mainframes. But now that it is confident of the drive’s ability, it is launching it into the AS/400 and RS/6000 market. Tape Pro said that while other data interchange drives can read mainframe tapes, Overland Data’s drive can read and write, obviating the usual need for two drives. The L490E works with AS/400, RS/6000 and personal computers and 3490E- and 3480-type tapes and is compatible with 18-track and 36-track mainframe tapes. Configured in a stand-alone tower unit, for around รบ15,000, the drive has a 4Mb cache buffer and SCSI, and data rate of 10Mbps. The company said the accuracy of data recording is supported by extensive use of error detection and correction technology.
