On 12/28/18 10:46 AM, Douglas Taylor via cctalk wrote: > I have a Qualstar 1260 (Pertec Interface) and connected it to a > PDP-11/23 with an Emulex TC02. It was fun to see it spin the tape and > read/write data. I could just imagine what torture it was to collect > data or install operating systems that way.
Didn't seem like torture back in the day. If you were in systems development, it was a convenient way to test various configurations--just grab the right tape and IPL/Deadstart/Boot from it. In fact, disk storage was initially meant to be "working store", not storage for masses of data. If a disk drive crashed (and they did), you had the more reliable tape. If you were the systems type, you probably had a stash of your own tapes in your office. I can remember hopping the "noon balloon" out of San Jose with a large Samsonite briefcase full of tapes (you could carry 6 reels in it; I still have the case. It was often the best and least expensive way to get a mass of sensitive data cross-country. Anyone remember 7090 IBSYS or FMS? TOS/360? --Chuck