If anyone here has bought/is going to buy any of the ICT computer tapes from eBay (current
item number 380177625923), then I probably have the only machine in the world that can
read them. As I already have about 300 of these, I'm not willing to shell out 20
pounds each for them, and they may be blank anyway. However I might be missing out on data
that is on them, so if either you would like to know what's on them or don't mind
giving me the chance to read them then I would be vary happy to do so.
You might be thinking they are standard 7 track of 9 track tapes. They aren't. They
fit the Ampex TM4 drives fitted to the ICT 1300/1301/1302 (and also to the Leo 3 I think)
and are ten track devices with (for the computer industry), non standard hubs. The hubs
are the audio/video standard hubs, and I suspect some buyers think they are 1/4 inch audio
tapes as the vendor does not spell out that they are 1/2 inch (though I questioned this
and they are 1/2 inch). I suppose they will make interesting ornaments for the wall. As
they've no labels they're probably blank, but who knows, they might contain the
holy grail of a copy of the 1302 Executive.
Roger Holmes
Owner of 'Flossie' the worlds last working ICT 1301, delivered to the University
of London 1962 for administration, like grading exam results and printing certificates.