CompuServe Messages

Hi all: It's come time to get a bigger more betterer mass back-up system for moving 3DS rendered images from place to place (my place to service bureau). Here's the system I'm looking at picking up. It's an HP 8 gig 4mm DAT drive (HP1533A external) bundled with the RENDER-TO-DAT software from AeroData (gives the DAT a DOS drive letter and makes it an on-line device) (it's in the back of "The Autodesk Multimedia Partner Catalog Vol 2"). Says it can exceed 15MB / minute (should I be impressed?). The guy on the phone boasted that they got 4 gigs off in 45 min (his claim and the through-put numbers dont seem to match.) Questions: 1) Anyone use this thing with 3DS ? (can I really get a 500 MB animation off in about 30 min) 2) Are 8mm DATs better then 4mm DATs ? 3) Is their a better system for get'n 3DS images "from here to their" ? How about it, any words of wisdom anyone? Scott.