IBM PC cassette drive

From: Jeffrey H. Ingber <jhingber_at_ix.netcom.com>
Date: Sun Feb 10 22:04:04 2002

On Sun, 2002-02-10 at 22:02, Fred Cisin (XenoSoft) wrote:
> On Sun, 10 Feb 2002, Curt Vendel wrote:
> > I installed an entire classroom of IBM PC's that all had cassette interfaces
> > on them, but never have I ever seen an rebranded or OEM's tape drive
> > directly from IBM themselves. The Diagnostic tape, was it to run diags on
> > the IBM PC itself or was it a diagnostic tape for a tape drive??? I have
> > several diag tapes for the Atari 410 which test the alignment and speed of
> > the Atari 410 tape drives, so this is why I ask.

I can vaguely remember that we had PC's outfitted with cassette units
when I was in the first grade. The machines were used to teach
reading. They were part of course material published, at least in part,
by IBM that consisted of software for the PCs and workbooks.

>From what I can remember, the software phonetically pronounced the names
of objects on the screen. I don't recall if the cassettes actually
contained software, or if they were used to produce the spoken voices.
Needless to say, this system taught me to read.

Jeffrey H. Ingber (jhingber _at_ ix.netcom.com)

>
> It is diagnostics for the PC.
> Almost, or maybe exactly, the same as the diagnostics on disk.
>
> I have never seem the "Advanced Diagnostics" on tape, but have been told
> that it existed.
>
>
> Perhaps the reason that nobody is familiar with the IBM cassette drive
> might be because there never was one?
>
> But the PC DID come with a diagnostics tape. It was simply assumed that
> the tape drive would be user provided. That way IBM was off the hook when
> it didn't work.
>
Received on Sun Feb 10 2002 - 22:04:04 GMT