Mitch Thompson wrote:
I'm not ready to start a museum just yet! I used to maintain and repair them, many years ago. Some models could also do 1600 bpi and a few 5760 (IIRC).
Lessee now, the device address on Data General computers was 22, hit the program load switch and watch the reels spin... ;-)
I remember that! We had an Eclipse system and a Nova 3. The Nova actually had a hard drive was two platters, one was a 5 MB "fixed" drive, and also a 5 MB removable. The Eclipse was the first system I saw with a tape drive that used vacuum to control the tape loops.
Brings back memories.
I believe the 5+5 MB drive was called the "Phoenix" and the 10+10 was the "Gemini", though it might be the other way around. While our Eclipse systems had the vacuum columns, the first ones I worked on (~1978), were attached to a Collins system. I can't think of the name of the manufacturer though. They made tape stands for a lot of companines.