On 2019-08-02 8:03 a.m., Russell Reiter via talk wrote:
On Fri, Aug 2, 2019, 7:23 AM Stewart C. Russell via talk <talk@gtalug.org
<mailto:talk@gtalug.org>> wrote:
On 2019-08-01 11:09 p.m., D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk wrote:
>
> - punch cards and paper tape: 100 years
>
> - 9-track mag tape: 10 years
[snip]
Good luck getting a reader for any of these now. At least the paper
media is scannable.
Chances are if you have the data on tape, you already have the reader. These
folks will repair or replace your equipment.
[snip]
????It may seem out of date, but there is still a strong business case for
maintaining the original archive records on original format, as well as a
copy transferred to newer media, depending on the importance of the dataset
itself.??
I have printouts of programs that had been printed on an old IBM 1403 chain
printer, some programs that are on punch cards, and one on paper tape. I
also have two mag tapes reels that were used with IBM mainframes. I have no
idea what is on those tapes. The printouts, punch cards, and paper tape have
survived intact for over 40 years.
I still (mostly) remember how to read punch cards. I would have to find a
site to help decode the paper tape but it could be run through an ASR 33
teletype to generate a printout.
I recently discovered I have a cassette tape with 4K BASIC for Altair 8800
dated 1976. I have now archived the audio on that cassette that on to my
computer. I have other cassette tapes I used with old computers that I'm
doing to digitize and attempt to decode.
It is interesting to realize that a lot of this "old school technology" has
survived many a decade yet modern devices like CDs, DVDs, and hard drives
often have much shorter shelf lives.
--
Cheers!
Kevin.
http://www.ve3syb.ca/ | "Nerds make the shiny things that
https://www.patreon.com/KevinCozens | distract the mouth-breathers, and
| that's why we're powerful"
Owner of Elecraft K2 #2172 |
#include <disclaimer/favourite> | --Chris Hardwick
---
Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org
Unsubscribe from this mailing list https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
