11 Aug
2013
11 Aug
'13
1:45 p.m.
> Good point. I forgot there was a time when this
was done. There was a
> short blurb on the CBS news the other week that mentioned the paucity of
> working Ampex videotape machines. Apparently there is one organization or
> person still able to rebuild and maintain these.
On Sun, 11 Aug 2013, William
Donzelli wrote:
It is not like that at all. Last Sunday I was talking
to a friend
about the old 2 inch video decks, and how many are in operational
condition, and he said "about 50". There are plenty of places that
maintain these machines for not-quite-everyday use.
The jawflappers will often convey the "common knowledge" that nothing over
10 years old can be read. If THEIR office has abandoned all prior
compatibility, then surely EVERYONE has. And, if THEY don't know how to
read VHS, photo negatives, mag tape, reel to reel audio or video tape,
player piano rolls, CP/M disks, 8", or even 5.25", then surely it is a
skill involving "RARE, UNIQUE, UNOBTAINABLE, NO LONGER IN
EXISTENCE" "special hardware", and "is a majopr crisis in
industry".
If/when you ever try to followup on any of these stories of priceless
data being inaccessible, and/or even offer to HELP, you will find that it
was inaccessible UNTIL they contacted somebody, ANYBODY, who had a clue.
It is a recurring bit of Miss Information from the "news".
--
Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin at xenosoft.com