What is a Tape Drive?
There are many ways to back up computer data. One of the easiest and most efficient is the tape drive. A tape drive is a device which uses a magnetic tape to store computer data. The tapes used in a tape drive are about the size of a large pack of gum and are fairly sturdy. The tape drive itself can be built into the computer or used as an external component. A tape drive is primarily used to back up important information from a computer. The tapes come in a variety of sizes, from the 20-80 GB range for home users and single computer office use, to hundreds of gigabytes and even into the terabytes (approximately 1000 gigabytes) for large servers and entire networks of computers. Tape drives can be used manually or set to automatic operation. A tape drive for a personal computer comes with software that allows the user to easily perform a number of actions. The tape drive can be used to backup individual files, folders, entire drives, or the contents of the whole computer. Of course, th