Ultra SCSI devices on MBP?

The speed of SCSI adapters is very slow. Plus the companies that used to make some of the better ones are now gone. I strongly recommend selling the SCSI tape drive to someone who still uses other older hardware, and getting a Firewire tape drive in its stead:

http://www.macworld.com/2001/02/bc/28reviewsfirewiretd/

google for scsi converters, you'll find a firewire to Uscsi adapter

You may get a SCSI converter, but if you don't have the right drivers for the drive to work with the operating system in question, it is a waste of money. Seriously consider getting a drive known to work with the operating system in question.

And software that recognizes it as well which is something I would not bet the farm on as well with any tape drive. They are bad enough in Windows environments.

Ratoc is the only company I'm aware that makes such converters. Be aware though that the converter may not get sufficient power to power the drive unless you add an AC/Adapter to the converter, which typically is sold at an additional cost. If you find a PCMCIA adapter, that may work as well with the proper AC adapter and the PCMCIA-Express/34 adapter by:

http://www.duel-systemsadapters.com/?productid=DP-0001

Of course if you are willing to through that much money at the problem just getting a Firewire tape drive at it may save you money in the long run. Remember you are trying to build a jalopy out of your tape drive by matching up devices that are over 10 years old in technology with a modern device. You might as well try to hook up a crankshaft engine to a modern sports car.

Good luck!

That Sewelldirect link says under specs "Note: Will not work with Mac OS X or Windows XP" It is in red letters.

Message was edited by: a brody

Yep, that "should" work.
The only problem may be that the Intel drivers may be different than the ones they say are 10.4 ready.

Be sure to read the special note on that page:


"If you choose to use this adapter as a firewire repeater then a power adapter is needed. SewellDirect currently does not offer this adapter, but it may be purchased at a local electronics store. It requires a 5V AC/DC adapter with a 1.7x4 mm plug."

The speed of SCSI adapters is very slow.

I think you're confusing speeds.

Ignoring the issue of how to interface a SCSI drive to a MBP, anything faster than Ultra 2 Wide SCSI has throughput at 80 MB/s or better - that's mega bytes per second, not the 400 mega bits per second of FireWire 400. (Remember, MB/s = (Mb/s / 8), so FireWire 400 delivers top throughput of just 50 MB/s.)

Ultra 3 SCSI or better has a throughput of 160 mega bytes per second, faster than even FireWire 800's 800 mega bits per second (which would be only 100 MB/s.)

This is why systems using Fiber Channel are so popular in server farms, as it delivers data at speeds of up to 400 MB/s, or 4x faster than FW800.

This is also why eSATA is starting to gain traction as a way to attach an external drive, as it communicates with drives at a maximum speed of 2400 Mb/s, or some 3x faster than FW800 (but still slower than Fiber Channel or Ultra SCSI 320.)

There's a really nice chart outlining this here.

Just keeping the discussion honest.

Adaptec SlimSCSI 1460
I have one of these that I use with a Titanium PowerBook to connect to old SCSI Jaz and Zip drives

You may need to do some Black Magic with cables and connectors, but this should do what you want.

However, you will need a driver for that tape drive that a Mac can use.

Good luck.

Sorry Dan, but that won't work with a MacBook Pro. The Adaptec 1460 is a PCMCIA card and the MPB has an ExpressCard/34 slot. I haven't been able to find anyone making an ExpressCard/34 SCSI card.