what is a 'stringy floppy'?

From: Allison J Parent <allisonp_at_world.std.com>
Date: Thu Nov 19 22:20:19 1998

< >i was talking to my manager who is just about ready to give me a comple
< >working trs80 model 1 with ALL accessories. he also said he used someth
< >called a stringy floppy with it which used a loop of string/wire to sa

< The "Exatron Stringy Floppy" was a tape loop cartridge that had a basic
< 'structured' file system on it so (with the proper software) it could b
< treated similar to a disk device, altho serial in nature. Don't remembe
< the capacity right off, but it was not a lot.

Around 100k. It was faster than audio cassette but clower than floppy.
It's search speed was terrible.

I did a design before it came out using a 8track cart for a platform.
It's problems were using the short loops I made it would take 180 seconds
to search for the previous block and the reliability of the tape was poor
with oxide flaking (even using the best mylar tapes). While I was able
to make it work I abandoned it within weeks of building it for a DC300
cartridge and my own drive. Based on my experiences with looped tapes
and carts when I saw the Exxatron I regarded it as unlikely contender.
It didn't last long.

It is very collectable as likely few survived.

Allison
Received on Thu Nov 19 1998 - 22:20:19 GMT