Yes, B drives can be field upgraded to support long tapes.

>
> >IBM has released the Extended Length 3590s today
>
> According to the 
> http://www.storage.ibm.com/hardsoft/tape/announce/0229ann.html
> announcement, they need to be used on those drives supporting extended length:
>
>   A new extended length media cartridge, the IBM Magstar 3590 Extended High
>   Performance Cartridge Tape. The new cartridge has a native capacity of 40 GB
>   (120 GB with 3:1 compression) for the Magstar 3590 Model E and 20 GB (60 GB
>   with 3:1 compression) for the Model B. These capacities are double that of
>   the current cartridge.
>
>   By using the new cartridges on tape drives that have the extended media
>   support, customers can experience significant savings from less tape
>   cartridge handling, improved automation slot utilization, and a reduction in
>   floor space requirements. Use of the new media will especially benefit
>   customer applications such as system backup and restore which utilize full
>   tape cartridges.
>
> Is "extended media support" a field upgradeable option for Model B drives?
> Anyone have experience with such an upgrade?
>
>     Richard Sims, BU
>


--
Tom Bell                                    tom.bell AT westgeo DOT com
Tom Bell                                    tom.bell AT westgeo DOT com
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