Computer tape quantities in the 70's or 80's?

[Tom Gardner]

Phister's
<https://books.google.com/books/about/Data_processing_technology_and_economi
cs.html?id=MwMpAQAAMAAJ>  numbers in Table II 1.27a Supplies

 


Line

Item

Figure

Units

1959

1960

1961

1962

1963

1964

1965

1966

1967

1968

1969

1970

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978


20

Total Tapes Shipped

M

0.085

0.227

0.544

0.825

1.37

2.25

2.97

3.2

4

5

5.7

4.7

4.5

6.6

9.4

9.9

9.7

10.1

10.7

11.2

tom

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Shoppa, Tim [mailto:tshoppa at wmata.com] 
Sent: Monday, August 06, 2018 11:34 AM
To: 'cctalk at classiccmp.org'
Subject: Re: Computer tape quantities in the 70's or 80's?

 

Chuck writes:

> I'd probably start with the US Commerce Department.  In their 

> industrial report summaries, the product code is "36950 11"

> e.g.:   <https://tinyurl.com/y8ks3mdd> https://tinyurl.com/y8ks3mdd   for
1987-88

 

Wow, Chuck, that is fascinating info that I had no idea was so easily
accessed. Thank you! It looks like the tape production in the 80's was 30M
to 40M reels per year so my guess at 100M was high but not too far off.

 

I super like some of the product codes just on those pages. E.g. 35711 22 is
Analog Computers, and 35751 75 is Teleprinters under 20 characters per
second (e.g. Model 33's which saw a steep decline through the 1980's. I'm
guessing they would've peaked in the early 70's.).

 

Tim N3QE