7 Mar
2002
7 Mar
'02
6:59 a.m.
The rig they used (making this on-topic!) was a PDP-11
with a 7-track
tape drive (don't know the model number) and an 8mm Exabyte drive,
probably an 8200, but I don't know for certain. In between the tape
drives, on the PDP-11 was some simple copying software and some
slave labor^H^H^H^H^H^H^Ha graduate student. I don't have exact numbers,
but it was on the order of several cubic meters of magtape distilled down
to a file drawer of 8mm carts. Presumably, multiple copies were made
and disseminated (one would hate to think all that work would end up
on tapes that were never read again).
I hope someone is going to transfer the data from the 8mm
tapes to some other format while the tapes can still be
read. I've read some discussions about problems with
long-term storage of 8mm tapes.
--
Eric Dittman
dittman(a)dittman.net
Check out the DEC Enthusiasts Club at http://www.dittman.net/