On Wed, Oct 05, 2005 at 09:25:38AM -0600, Mark.Donaldson AT cexp DOT com wrote:
> We're just archiving to LTO, same as the daily stuff.  The spec says 20-year
> lifetime with proper storage and that's more than adequate.  
>  
> Like we'll even be able to read that format tape in 10 years.  (Anybody got
> any 9-track reel-to-reel still around?)

Just disposed of a 9-track drive a few months ago.  One of our remote
offices still has a drive I think.

I'm sure the oil companies are still reading 800bpi tapes.  These
contain data that the petrophysicists use and are frequently old.  The
drives were typically in the back of a truck out in the field - hence
the 800bpi requirement. 

It's been a few years since I've seen a paper tape reader though :-)

        .../Ed

-- 
Ed Wilts, Mounds View, MN, USA
mailto:ewilts AT ewilts DOT org