The 7208 Model 342 is an external tape drive providing a storage capacity of up to 40gb with IDRC data compression. It is read only compatible with older models of 8mm tape drives from both IBM and other manufacturers as well.The 8mm format is perfect for backing up or transferring large amounts of data from your AS/400s. This is the perfect unit to include on your new AS/400s while upgrading from your existing ones with the older 8mm formats.