On 3/8/23 09:42, Paul Koning wrote: > Second, I would consider a format to be significant if it had a major market > presence and major place in the technology space. In that sense, DECtape I > clearly belongs -- being either the primary or a significant secondary > storage device for a decade or two of some of the world's most successful > computer lines.
And all of them DEC. No IBM, CDC, UNIVAC, etc. As to what it inspired, I can't say. > Similarly, is DLT a "dead end"? It was captive to some extent until it > spread out, but then LTO replaced it. On the other hand, isn't LTO clearly > an evolutionary variant of DLT? But DLT was used in systems made by various manufacturers. Yes, it originated at DEC, purchased by Quantum and used on various systems. In fact, Quantum probably made the bulk of the drives, not DEC. Being a cross-vendor interchange medium, I'd include it. The same for DDS and 8mm (Exabyte) media. Exabyte didn't make computer systems, so it necessarily had to be cross-vendor. DDS is, of course, DAT re-imagined. How about the 2mm Pereos tapes? Never really took hold and used Sony audio mechanisms. I'd call that a dead-end, not being aware of anything that it inspired. --Chuck
