Tale of the magnetic tape: 60 years at IBM

[Borg 386]

In 1952 IBM solved the problem of using magnetic tape to back up computer-generated data. The IBM 726 used a “vacuum column” that created a buffer of loose tape. This way, the relatively brittle tape could withstand the system’s fast starts and stops without snapping.

IBM claims that magnetic tape remains the most cost-effective, flexible and scalable medium for high-capacity storage backup today.

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Tale of the magnetic tape: 60 years at IBM | ZDNet

 

[IownAmoneyPit]

Good read it amazes me how far technology has advanced in 60 years.

 

[Trucidation]

Heh, I remember trimming whitespace and doing other messy tricks with my BASIC source code so that my programs would fit on the floppies (a welcome upgrade from the tape cassette deck I'd been using previously).