The DLT VS80 tape drive is positioned as an upgrade drive for current DLT 40 customers, offering a 100% increase in capacity and performance at virtually the same price point. Utilizing industry standard DLT Type IV Media, the DLT VS 80 tape drive also offers HP customers a high degree of Investment Protection by providing backward-read compatibility with media previously written in DLT 40 format. The DLT VS 80 drive is also read and write compatible with data protection solutions utilizing the DLT1 tape drive, such as the DLT1 1280 SuperLoader, and can be read by HP StorageWorks SDLT 220 and 320 tape drives, providing for an easy upgrade path to higher capacity and performance drives in the future.