The new statistical processing machine has many different device formats 
available to its users for receiving data from outside sources such as 
Neilson, US Census Bureau, etc.  The vet machine has 2 different types 
of tape drives available, an 8mm 5.0 GB capacity tape drive, and 2 
3490E cartridge tape drives.  

The 8mm tape drive can read any 8mm tape, 2.3 GB to 5.0 GB format, 
compressed or uncompressed. 

The 3490E tape drives can read both IBM mainframe type 3480 square 
cartridges or IBM 3490E square cartridges.  The drives can write data out
to square cartridges in 3490E format, compressed or uncompressed.  The 
drives are both equipped with tape stackers as well, and can handle the 
loading of up to 7 tapes before operator intervention is required.  

For those users who still have data from the mainframe stored on the 
round, 9-track 6250 BPI tapes, we will be copying their data to the 
square cartridge 3480 format on the mainframe.  These mainframe 3480 
cartridges can then be read on the 3490E drives on the vet machine. 

All users who regularly order or receive tapes from outside Rice should
update their future orders to specify a format more readily accessible
on the vet machine.  Users should order data in either 8MM tape format, 
3480 or 3490E cartridge format, or CD-ROM format if available. 
If your data is very large but the tape will probably only be read once 
into storage and saved, then consider ordering the slower, but larger 
capacity 8MM tape format.  If your tapes will be accessed more frequently,
rather than stored on disk, you might consider the much faster but lower
capacity 3480/3490E format.  

We also have available on vet, a CD-ROM readable drive.  Currently, this is
used mostly for installing software and online documentation.  However, if
any users see a strong future need for readable and writable CDROM 
capability, please let us know.  Purchasing a writeable CDROM system may 
be something that we can justify in the future for the vet machine. 

If users have any questions about what format they should order any future
software in, please send a message to statlab@stat.rice.edu and we will be
happy to help you choose the best option.