OT: Archiving data (LONG)

From: CLASSICCMP_at_trailing-edge.com <(CLASSICCMP_at_trailing-edge.com)>
Date: Wed May 31 11:33:46 2000

>> Maybe photographic film quality "paper tape" is the answer. The other
>> solution may be photographic film floppy disks. I'd better get right off to
>> my patent attorney and file.

>Mylar punched paper tape has a VERY long lifetime and is even human
>readable (well sorta ;)).

But not a particularly high density - 10 Bytes per square inch.

I think mike was talking about storing data on photographic film, like
many of the microfiche data storage systems already in use, but intended
for direct computer reading. Many films will resolve 100 line pairs
per millimeter; this directly translates to about 3.2 MBytes per
square inch.

This isn't particularly new technology, but it'll probably never become
widely used in the consumer sector. Most end-consumers simply don't
think even a couple of years ahead; witness all the folks who transferred
home movies to videotape, which might last for a decade
or two at most, and then tossed the original film. The original film
would've been good for centuries if processed properly.

-- 
 Tim Shoppa                        Email: shoppa_at_trailing-edge.com
 Trailing Edge Technology          WWW:   http://www.trailing-edge.com/
 7328 Bradley Blvd		   Voice: 301-767-5917
 Bethesda, MD, USA 20817           Fax:   301-767-5927
Received on Wed May 31 2000 - 11:33:46 BST

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