Library Technology Guides

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Volume 20 Number 11 (November 2000)

A Look at Desktop Storage Options

Although rumors abound that the computer industry Will seek to discontinue the 3.6-inch diskette drive on newly manufactured PCs within the next year, no company in the industry has issued any press releases on this matter. Nevertheless, libraries are advised to look at desktop storage options in anticipation of an announcement about the 3.5-inch diskette.

Hard drives will continue to perform the lion's share of desktop storage. The largest internal hard drives for PCs hold 75 gigabytes (GB), and internal drives holding 200 GB are expected to become available in 2003. The most popular size in the past six months has been the 15-GB drive because that is the size configured with most PCs purchased without an upgrade. A 75-GB drive adds about $400 to the cost of a PC. Regardless of size, hard drives are the fastest storage medium for desktop machines.

Given the price-to-performance ratio of hard drives, an increasing number of users are choosing RAID technology so that risk of data loss is reduced because data is stored on two hard drives, and data transfer rates are increased since both drives can transfer data at the same time.

The drawback to hard drives is that they are not portable. Many users want to be able to take files from one machine to another. The most popular way of accomplishing that has been the 3.5-inch diskette. If they are discontinued, users will have to adopt a new portable storage medium. The question is, which one?

Zip drives—generically, disk-cartridge drives—are the leading candidate because they have considerably more capacity than 3.5-inch diskettes at modest cost. A 100 megabyte (MB) zip drive costs about $100—a capacity equal to 70 diskettes. The drive is externally attached using a USB (universal serials bus) interface or, in the case of some models, an IDE interface.

Optical options such as DVD-R/W drives (R/W stands for read/write) are beginning to be used as an alternative removable storage medium even though they are both slower at transferring information and are more costly—about $250. The DVD drive can be installed in the PC's existing CD-ROM drive bay or in the adjacent unused half-height bay. It typically requires an IDE interface. The major advantage of installing a DVD-R/W drive on a PC is that it can be used to play commercially produced DVD programs in addition to being used as a removable storage medium. Although CD-R/W drives are also an option, they are not likely to become popular because they have less storage capacity than DVD-R/W. The availability and price of DVD movies will be a big factor in the decision by PC buyers to choose DVD-R/W over zip drives.

The latest desktop storage option is a removable tape drive from OnStream Inc. Its Echo DI 30 can handle 30 GB of compressed data, far more than can be held by a zip drive. The drive costs less than $300 and the tape cartridges sell for about $50 each. Although that is nearly 50 times the cost of a CD-RW disk, it provides up to 80 times the capacity.

On the distant horizon are solid state optical media drives that are expected to be smaller than DVD-R/W and hold more information. Pilot products are expected to be introduced in two or three years.

Networks facilitate a new storage option. Files can be kept on a server on a local area network (LAN), or they can be stored remotely and moved via the Internet. The former is becoming more common as organizations move to networks with bandwidths of 100 to 1,000 Mbps (megabits per second). The major constraint on moving files via the Internet has been the limitation of many e-mail programs and the unwillingness of Internet Service Providers (ISP) to handle large files. A few online storage services can handle large files; among them is I-Drive.com. Uploading and downloading information, however, is slow.

The future of desktop storage is unclear, but libraries can likely trust that the machine purchased this year will be usable for at least three to five years before becoming obsolete. The best advice is to buy a machine with twice as much hard disk as you expect to need and be prepared to require a zip drive or DVD-R/W drive if a future configuration does not include a 3.5 inch diskette drive. The choice between the two media might best be made on the basis of the relative availability of the two removable storage media among the library's staff and patrons. Zip drives are the most widely available today, but DVD-R/W may soon be more popular as movies on DVD gain popularity.

Endeavor ILL module in beta testing

Endeavor has announced the beta release of an interlibrary loan module for its Voyager automated library system. The module includes patron-initiated interlibrary loans and tracking of the various stages of the process. Other features—including the automatic creation of bibliographic and item records needed to place holds, and conformity to ISO 10160/10161—will not be available until next year in Phase 2.

[Contact: Endeavor Information Systems; tel: 800-762-6300; Web: www.endinfosys.com.]

epixtech's Remote Patron Authentication wins support

More than a dozen online reference services have registered their databases for access through epixtech's RPA (remote patron authentication) product. The product controls access to services that require authentication. It links not only to epixtech's own automated library systems (Dynix, Horizon, and NOTIS) but also to those of other vendors if 51P3 is supported. RPA authenticates directly against the automated library system's patron file, verifying the patron meets library-defined criteria. Based on the information in the record, RPA qualifies the patron, determines which on-line resources the patron is eligible to access, and passes the approved credentials onto the on-line reference service selected by the patron. Access can be blocked by patron group, registration location, patron status, fine/fee limits, and a number of other criteria.

Among the on-line reference services that have registered with epixtech are Bell & Howell, EBSCO, Encyclopedia Britannica, Gale Group, Grolier, LexisNexis, Novelist, OVID, Reed Elsevier, Silver Platter, SIRS, UnCover, and H. W. Wilson.

[Contact: epixtech, inc. 400 W. 5050 North, Provo, UT 84604-5650; tel: 801-223-5200or 800-223-5413; fax: 801-223-5202; Web: www.epixtech.com]

Innovative Adds 38 accounts in first eight months of 2000

Innovative Interfaces has added 38 new accounts in the first eight months of 2000, including such diverse entities as Istanbul's Bilgi University, The American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, the Feng Chia University of China, California Judicial Center Library, Gothenburg Public Library of Sweden, Michigan State University, Capital District Library Council of Albany, Social Law Library of Boston, Pulaski County Special School District of Arkansas, Sonoma State University, Pacific University, Portland Community College, and Chula Vista Public Library.

[Contact: Innovative Interfaces, Inc., 6850 Shellmound Way, Emeryville, CA 94608; tel: 800-878-6600; Web: www.iii.com.]

Integral Concepts releases ZSearcher

Integral Concepts, a new Canadian company formed by a group of librarians and IT professionals to create technical services products for libraries, has released ZSearcher, a Z39.50-based client for searching multiple databases for MARC records. A companion product, MARC Writ er, which can be used to edit records, check coding automatically, verify headings, create authority records, and send records via FTP to a local database, will soon be released in beta.

Although many products can search for and download bibliographic records in MARC format using the Z39.50 protocol, the principals in Integral Concepts were not-happy with the inflexibility and poor productivity of the cataloging modules of most local library systems and bibliographic utilities. Specifically, they wanted a better editor to edit text, verify headings, check for errors, and create original bibliographic and authority records. ZSsearcher is available for downloading at the company's Web site.

[Contact: Integral Concepts; Web: www.integralconcepts.com.]

Gaylord releases new Galaxy WebPAC

Gaylord has replaced its earlier Web-based patron-access catalog with a new product built from the ground up in standard HTML. Libraries could not easily customize its earlier product, which was based on proprietary code. The new product not only facilitates searching of the patron access catalog but provides patrons access to their personal account information and lets them place and cancel holds. It also hyperlinks to authors and related subjects.

That Gaylord continues to invest development time and effort in Galaxy, rather than focus its attention on Polaris, its newer product, is significant.

[Contact: Gaylord Information Systems, P.O. Box 4901, Syracuse, NY 13221- 4901, tel: 800-272-3414, Web: www.gaylord.com/automation.]

Sirsi teams with Syndetics Solutions to deliver enhanced bibliographic data

Sirsi Corp. has formed an alliance with Syndetic Solutions, a provider of bibliographic content information, to integrate that company's product into the iBistro Internet Access Center. This integration allows users searching for a hook to view not only the author, title, and call number but also the book's cover, table of contents, summary, and author's biography.

iBistro Internet Access center can be used not only to search a library's catalog but also to access the catalogs of other libraries, Web sites, and online booksellers.

[Contact: Sirsi Corp., 101 Washington St. SE, Huntsville, AL 35801; tel: 256-704 7000, fax: 256-704-7007; Web: www.sirsi.com.]

SISIS wins Rotterdam

SISIS, a German automated library system vendor, has signed the Rotterdam Public Library, one of the largest in Europe. The new system will run on a Sun E450 server running Solaris. The product, which is named SunRise (similar to epixtech's choice of Horizon with Sunrise for its successor to Dynix and Horizon), includes acquisitions, serials control, cataloging, circulation, interlibrary loan, and patron-access catalog modules.

The sale is SISIS' third major public library win outside Germany in the past few months. That win is significant because the vendor has been considering entry into the North American market but has held off until it establishes a firm footing in Europe outside Germany.

SISIS has not yet translated its Web site, www.sisis.de, into English, so calling them by telephone or fax is easier.

[Contact: SISIS, tel: 011-49-89-61308318, fax: 011-49-89-61308392]

Compaq versus Sun

A library that had received proposals from vendors of automated library systems recently asked whether it should consider a vendor that had bid Compaq Alpha hardware because the library was under the impression that Sun and Hewlett-Packard, the hardware products, offered by all the other vendors, were much stronger players in the server market. The response was two-fold:

1. If the vendor of the automated library system is willing to guarantee reliability and response times for at least five years-as long as the library keeps the system under maintenance— any one of several hardware platforms is a safe choice. The important thing is that the hardware platform is one with which the vendor is familiar and is regularly bid by it.
2. Rumors about Compaq once again becoming a PC company are not reliable. IDC, a major market research -company recently reported worldwide server revenues for 1999. IBM led the market with $13.2 billion in sales, Compaq was second with $8.4 billion, and Hewlett-Packard and Sun followed with $8.2 and $7.2 million respectively. And what of Dell? It ranked fifth with server sales of $2.6 billion.

Hewlett-Packard and Sun hardware are favored but that's no reason for a library to reject an otherwise attractive proposal because it uses the hardware platform from Compaq or from IBM—or even Dell for smaller systems.

Fiber costs closing in on copper

For the first time since optical fiber for LANs were considered, a bid has come in for optical fiber that equals twisted-pair copper wire. Although the project is large by library industry standards, the economies were not limited to the backbone and the vertical cable runs to connect different floors; it extended even to the horizontal runs to the desktop. The savings are not in the medium (optical fiber continues to be more costly than copper), but in the hardware and building space. Choosing optical fiber over copper means that you do not have to install work-group switches and routers on each floor. Instead, networked devices in a given area are connected by optical fiber to a nearby optical patch panel. Other optical fiber runs connect the individual patch panels to a central network wiring closet. Total square footage for wiring closets is reduced by half.

The outcome will not always be the same, but the experience does suggest that the time has come to obtain bids on both alternatives in larger-buildings, probably those with more than 100,000 net assignable square feet.

Intel announces Pentium 4

Intel has announced that Pentium 4 chips will begin to be shipped in the fourth quarter of 2000. Some PC manufacturers may be selling machines with the new chips as early as December. The Pentium 4 machines will run as fast as 2 GHz. The significance of the announcement for most libraries is that it will force down prices on Pentium In machines late this year, or in early 2001. Pentium III machines generally operate at 700 MHz to 1.2 GHz and now sell for as little as $899 without a printer.

Microsoft releases Windows ME

Microsoft has decided to release an upgrade to Windows 98 that is aimed at consumers. Windows 2000 has not been popular with purchasers of PCs to be used at home. The new product— dubbed Microsoft Millennium Edition or Windows ME—features System Restore, which enables users to roll back their software configuration to a date or time when it was working properly. Another feature, designated Windows Image Acquisition (WIA), helps users transfer images from WIA-compliant digital cameras. The product is bundled with Windows Media Player 7 and Internet Explorer 5.5.

Dell to build wireless LANs into Notebooks

Dell has announced it is following IBM's lead in building wireless LANs into some of its notebook PC models.

The models will not only have antennae but also wireless modem connections when these become available from Dell's suppliers. Both companies are committed to the IEEE 802.11B wireless network standard operating in the 2.4-GHz frequency range. Building in these features will relieve users of the need to buy and install peripheral devices, -which will reduce the cost to users by over $100 to about $75. Initially, the features will be built-in only on selected models costing more than $2,500.

Majority of those not online, do not plan to go online

Library Systems Newsletter reported last month that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) had issued a report on the digital divide that includes much useful information about who is and is not online. Subsequent to the release of NTIA's report, the Pew Internet & American Life Project issued an even more compelling report. Although much of the data is similar to that in the NTIA report, the most compelling information is that 32% of those without Internet access now say they definitely will not get Internet access. That's more than 31 million people. Another 25% of non-Internet users say that they probably will not venture online. That leaves a minority of 41% who probably or definitely will seek Internet access.

Most of the Internet holdouts are older Americans-a total of 87% of those over 65 and 59% of those between 50 and 64. They are not only uncomfortable with the technology, but they often don't believe it can bring them any benefits. These two reasons are cited far more often than the cost of Internet access.

The significance of the data is that libraries must do more than make Internet access available to those who don't have it; they must also make patrons—especially those over 50—aware of the potential value of the Internet.

The text of the Pew report is available at www.pewinternet.org.

DOJ seeks speedy review of Microsoft case

Having lost in its effort to take the Microsoft antitrust case directly to the Supreme Court, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is now fighting to ensure the case gets a speedy appeals review. In court papers filed Oct. 3, the DOJ, joined by the 19 states involved in the case, urged the U.S. District Court of Appeals to reject Microsoft's proposed briefing schedule and move “expeditiously” on appeal.

Microsoft asked for 60 days to file its appeal and another 30 days to file a response to the government's arguments after they are filed. The government is seeking to reduce the time period to 30 days for each of the deadlines, and it commits to responding within 30 days of Microsoft's response to its arguments.

The parties are also arguing over the lengths of the briefs, with Microsoft wanting to file a 56,000-word brief, and the government seeking to limit the principal briefs to 24,000 words each. (The normal appeals brief guidelines call for a limit of 14,000 words for principal briefs and 7,000 words for reply briefs.)

The goal of the government is to get appeals court review completed by fall 2001, in time for the next session of the Supreme Court. Microsoft hopes that the process will take long enough that an appeal cannot be heard until the 2002 session of the Supreme Court.

EBSCO Online Hits 1 Million Article Target

EBSCO Online now includes more than 1 million articles in electronic form from 3,700 journals. In addition, 1,500 journal-level links go to publisher Web sites. Only 20 months ago the database reached the 140,000 article mark.

EBSCO Online developers are now working on a feature that will allow users to view LC subject codes assigned to each journal. They will also have the option of selecting a subject for which a list of all related journals can be retrieved. A pay-per-view service will also be launched early next year so users without access to a particular journal via subscription will be able to purchase individual articles with a credit card.

Institutions that wish to place subscriptions to journals in electronic form can now review publisher licensing agreements on EBSCO Online and can link to that journal's registration form. [Contact: EBSCO Online; Web: www.ebsco.com.]

JVC introduces multimedia projector

CTVC has introduced a multimedia projector that delivers resolution as high as 1,365 x 1,024 pixels and can display all the details of an S-XGA (1,280 x 1024 pixels) image without scaling or loss of quality. The lamp delivers 1,300 ANSI lumens. The list price is under $9,000—unusually low for a unit that offers such high resolution and brightness.

Dealer names and addresses are available at the company's Web site under the heading “dealer locator.” [Contact: JVC; Web: www.jvc.com.]

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome revisited

Recognizing carpal tunnel syndrome can be tricky. The most common symptoms are tingling, numbness, or pain in one or both hands, or in the finger. The symptoms are usually worst at night, but may also occur when picking up a telephone, a book, or a coffee cup. All these activities involve holding the wrist in a flexed position. The flexing applies pressure to the carpal tunnel nerve as it goes through the wrist.

If the symptoms are mild, a wrist brace can be worn to prevent wrist flexing—particularly at night. An over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication such as aspirin or ibuprofen may also help. Some exercises are known to reduce the symptoms. They are available at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons' Web site at www.aaos.org/word.html/pat_educ/exerci.htm. If only one hand is affected, give it a rest by using the other. For example, switch the mouse to the other hand. Pick up a telephone or coffee cup with the other hand, and push the shopping cart with the other hand. Also, stretch out the wrists several times each day.

A mild case usually disappears in a week to 10 days. If not, consult a doctor. Doctors usually begin with an anti-inflammatory that is more powerful than over-the-counter medications, but in a small minority of cases they perform surgery.

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