Ecrix tape drive: first look

We recently had the chance to try out an Ecrix tape drive. We were very impressed. The SCSI drive was a breeze to set up. Just plug-it in, connect it to the SCSI port and you are on your way. Unfortunately, the CD that comes with the drive only includes PC software. However, the drive works superbly with Restrospect 4.1 and 4.2. Still, unless you already own Restrospect, add that to the cost of the drive. While we did not run benchmark tests, we can say the following: It backed up our 20GB drive (with about 9GB of data on it) in about three hours. This is very fast for a tape drive. And it did it all on one tape (which has a maximum capacity of 66 GB of compressed data). Added together, this is a very convenient method for backing up your hard drive overnight. Of course, the price of the drive is a bit steep: $899 to almost $1200, depending on the model you get (however, this page includes an offer to get one at a much reduced price). In any case, the price is comparable to other high-speed high-capacity backup solutions. A 66GB capacity tape sells for $80, but you can get a 24GB tape for only $30. [Note: Ecrix is an advertiser on MacFixIt.]