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Old June 12th 07, 08:18 PM posted to alt.folklore.computers,comp.arch.storage
Eric Sosman
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Default Bulkiest removable storage media?

Stan Barr wrote On 06/12/07 14:44,:
On Tue, 12 Jun 2007 10:32:49 -0700, Tim Shoppa
wrote:

What's the bulkiest removable storage media? Drums etc. don't count
because you don't often switch the drum (although they certainly could
be heavy judging by nothing but the size of the bearings). I worked
with RP06 packs and some funky optical tape reels in the past, but
those were pretty measly compared to some others I have seen or heard
about:

An IMAX 3-D reel can be 350 pounds and even the projector room even
has a dedicated forklift for helping load them:
http://www.architectureweek.com/2002...lding_1-2.html

An SSEC "paper tape" reel was punched-card-width stock not cut into
individual cards, sprocket holed and with 78 usable columns, and a
reel of it weighed 400 pounds:
http://www.columbia.edu/acis/history/ssec-tape.html

Any other bulkier examples I'm missing?



The original BBC steel tape video recorders? Huge reels of thin steel
tape, spliced by welding and grinding!


Clay tablets? Around 5 grams per bit, I'd guess,
plus or minus Finagle's Variable Constant.

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