Mailinglist Archive: opensuse (1188 mails)

[Mark Hounschell <markh@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On 01/19/2012 01:45 PM, Lew Wolfgang wrote:
> On 01/19/2012 08:04 AM, James Knott wrote:
> > Mark Hounschell wrote:
> > > Unfortunately you'll never find a pci floppy controller that can be
> > > used with the kernels /dev/fd0.
> >
> > What about a 9 track mag tape drive? Gotta make use of that tar
> > command. ;-)
>
> This is OT but interesting, I actually ran into some engineers a few
> years out of college who had never heard of 9-track mag tape! I had
> to google some photos before they would believe it.

Yes, it is OT, so this is my last in it.

> I'm dating myself, but I used to use 7-track tape too! It was 200
> frames per inch. I remember diagnosing problems with something called
> Visimag. It was a volatile fluid containing suspended iron particles that
> the tape would be dipped in. You could then see not only the tracks,
> but even the individual frames on the tape!

You probably meant 200 ips "Inches per second" which is a fast drive. As 
were those big IBM's. Most normal 9-track tape drives ranged from 45ips 
in the mid to late 70's to 125ips in the early to late 80's.

Mark
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