Q. What was the QIC organization?
Quarter-Inch Cartridge Drive Standards, Inc. (QIC) was
an international trade association incorporated in 1987. It was a direct
outgrowth of the
Working Group for Quarter-Inch Cartridge Drive Compatibility, also known
as QIC,
organized in 1982.
The primary purposes of QIC included the promotion
of QIC technology among computer users, resellers, dealers, industry analysts,
trade and technical press, and the formulation of development standards
for compatibility among various manufacturers' drives, cartridges and subsystems.
Q. What is QIC technology?
QIC technology was developed specifically for data storage applications,
and includes the following elements:
Single-capstan drive units containing magnetic read/write
heads and electronics for read/write, motion control, and system interface
functions. These drives
are packaged in both 3.5-inch and 5.25-inch form factors.
Data cartridges loaded with up to 1500 feet of quarter-inch magnetic-coated
tape, and containing integral tape motion and guidance mechanisms.
Data from computer system hard disks are recorded on up to 144 tracks
along the quarter-inch tape in serial, serpentine fashion, with storage
capacities currently ranging up to 13 GB (uncompressed.)
Menu-driven software, assuring easy backup, archiving or restoration of
data.
Q. Are QIC capacities stated in compressed or uncompressed
forms?
All QIC industry capacity references are stated in uncompressed capacities
to avoid confusion among users. Compression can vary with the application,
and in some cases provides no increase at all. Individual company products
may specify compressed data capacity.
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