Before we got proper labels we made a bunch of labels on a crappy $200 colour
inkjet printer using light card that are stuck on with a glue stick, they are
hand cut so they are slightly crooked.
I can definitely say they none of them had problems (except a couple labels 
fell off
when we used inferior glue). Most of those tapes are still use in the library.
That barcode reader is top notch.
We had our computer operators do this during graveyard shift.

We have purchased sheets of blank labels now so if we buy unlabeled tapes we 
don't
need to cut them up.

Out of 30+ HP tapes and 120 IBM ones I have 2 dud IBM tapes (I believe this was 
to
do with microcode problems earlier on, I haven't retested since I upped to 
1550).
On this side of the world IBM tapes are actually cheaper so we keep buying 
those.

Cheers, Suad
--
> > We can get a better price on HP media. Does anyone have any experience 
> > proving
> > We can get a better price on HP media. Does anyone have any experience 
> > proving
> > it is better to go for IBM media than HP media for the IBM library?
>
> There is one note you might be interested in. Buying HP LTO media gets
> you the cartridges but no barcode labels. Those you will have to buy
> from IBM, apply each one *carefully* so that it is straight and in the
> right position (so the robot can read it), and then check the cartridges
> in.[1]
>
> [1] Had a customer do this exact thing. The cartridges worked fine, but
> he ended spending more[2] than if he had ordered the media from IBM.
>
> [2] If you count the money he had to spend on the barcode and the hours
> he spent applying the labels[3]
>
> [3] And in some cases reapplying, and reapplying, and....
>
> --
> Mark Stapleton (stapleton AT berbee DOT com)