Papyrus so far (I haven't used it a great deal) is safe.  I have marveled
at the ease of import of data via searches from Current Contents on disk
and from NLM Medline.  The manual clearly tells you to run it thru DOS on
the IBM, although it will work via File Manager or Program Manaager
under Windows 3.1.  I can't recall if it is made fo rthe Mac.
 
I use a 250 mB tape cartridge to backup anything on my desk IBM.  It's
the cheapest and safest, if not the fastest, way.
 
Papyrus was, I think, shareware to begin with and is still a good price.
 
The poor guy's gotta make a living!
 
 
On Wed, 9 Nov 1994, Christoph Viebahn wrote:
 
> Concerning Reference Manager with 10,000 entries:
>
> Paul,
> If managing of references is your  most important software, you must have
> thought carefully about some easy (because regularly, almost daily) to use
> and fast backup system. Is it true that sophisticated data banks (like
> yours) use several (e.g. indexing) files for the data (and a lot of bytes)
> which will easily tie you to your keyboard for hours while you watch your
> precious reference collection being saved to floppy disks or other fairly
> safe storing media?
> The questions one whould like to know the answers to
> may be:
> 1. How many times has Reference Manager (or Papyrus for that
> matter) crashed?
> 2. Does it do so more often under Windows than with DOS (or on the Mac)?
> 3. How many entries have you lost so far because they are somehow corrupted
> and cannot be retrieved by the search function? (One might never know, of
> course.)
> 4. How often, how much of the data base, and with which technique,
> do you backup your data?
> 5. How long does a search (in single fields, in all fields, using wild
> cards, etc.) take, using the average hardware power of the season?
> 6. Why does nobody design an essential reference data base as a
> shareware product?
>
> Perhaps somebody will at least want to design a check list so that the
> community can test the various programmes on the market.
>
> These are my 1 1/2 Pfennig
> Christoph Viebahn
>
> Institute of Anatomy
> University of Bonn
> Nussallee 10
> D-53115 Bonn
>
> Tel +49 228 733264
> Fax +49 228 737301
>