How to Choose the Right Cartridge or Tape Drive?

Answer 1

Cartridge drives have evolved significantly over the years. In the past, cartridge drives could only store the data that was imprinted upon them during manufacturing. In modern times, cartridge drives have become an effective solution to alternative data storage. Cartridge drives are primarily used as back up storage devices for valuable information.

When considering purchasing a cartridge drive, the most important factor will be storage space. Typically, cartridge drives can store as little as 80GB of data, or as much as over 1000GB. The smaller drive space will be cheaper than the larger storage models, and are often adequate solutions to most storage tasks. The larger drives are used for industrial purposes.

Next, you will want to consider whether you want an internal cartridge, or an external cartridge. An external cartridge will connect to your storage device via USB cable. In some cases, a cartridge drive can connect to a computer through the router. These devices are convenient when transferring data between devices, as they can be connected to multiple computers. And internal cartridge drive resides inside the storage device, and only servers as back up to the information stored there. This means that the drive cannot be moved, but if there is a failure within the device, then the information can be retrieved from the cartridge drive.

Tape drives differ from cartridge drives in the sense that they use magnetic tape, rather than digital signatures, to store data. Tape drives are often used as a cost effective solution to storing data for long periods of time. Once the magnetic tape has been written up, you cannot erase it. Due to the fact that tape cannot be erased, it is favorable for storing information that will always remain unchanged.

Although tape drives are an old technology, they still have their uses in the modern world. Many companies still find use storing information on tapes, and in the home they can be used for storing music or important documents. If considering a tape drive for personal use, then you will want to purchase one of the smaller models. Chances are that you won’t be storing a lot of data on it, so a more economical drive would be recommended.