28 Apr
2019
28 Apr
'19
8:45 a.m.
Hi All.
Scott Lee, who worked with me on the Georgia Tech Software Tools
Subystem for Pr1me Computers, recently unearthed two tapes with
some version of that software. These may be the only copies
extant anywhere.
He says:
| I was cleaning out the basement of my house. They're 35 years old, but
| they've never been left in the heat or anything. I opened one of them
| up and checked the tape and it's not self-sticky or anything. The odds
| that they're readable is slim, because old 9-track bits tended to bleed
| through each other. You were supposed to spin through the tape every
| couple of years to make them last longer. That's obviously not happened.
There was discussion here a while back about services that will
recover such tapes and so on. But I didn't save any of that information.
If you have information, PLEASE send it to me so that I can relay it
to Scott.
Dennis Boone & Bill Gunshannon (are you on this list?) - I may ask you
to contribute $$ towards this once I know more.
Thanks!
Arnold
28 Apr
28 Apr
9:07 a.m.
On Sun, 28 Apr 2019 02:45:07 -0600 arnold(a)skeeve.com wrote:
There was discussion here a while back about services that will
recover such tapes and so on. But I didn't save any of that information.
http://www.comco-inc.com/media-conversion-services-by-comco-p29851.html
11:12 a.m.
Scott Lee, who worked with me on the Georgia Tech
Software Tools
Subystem for Pr1me Computers, recently unearthed two tapes with some
version of that software. These may be the only copies extant
anywhere.
!!!
| I was cleaning out the basement of my house.
They're 35 years old,
| but they've never been left in the heat or anything. I opened one
| of them up and checked the tape and it's not self-sticky or
| anything. The odds that they're readable is slim, because old
| 9-track bits tended to bleed through each other. You were supposed
| to spin through the tape every couple of years to make them last
| longer. That's obviously not happened.
I've read stuff that old that was stored in worse conditions. 9-track
is surprisingly robust. Humidity can be worse on the 80s-era media,
aggravating the "sticky shed" problem. There are several methods for
dealing with that, including low temp baking, chemical treatments,
stripping coating off the back side of the tape, etc. I use a low-tech
baking solution at home. Most methods give you a limited number of
reads over a fairly short time period.
Dennis Boone & Bill Gunshannon (are you on this
list?) - I may ask
you to contribute $$ towards this once I know more.
Let me know.
De
24 Jun
24 Jun
8:56 p.m.
On 4/28/19 1:45 AM, arnold(a)skeeve.com wrote:
There was discussion here a while back about services
that will
recover such tapes and so on. But I didn't save any of that information.
Chuck Guzis does excellent work and recommend that you use his services.
I hope the Georgia Tech tapes are recoverable
since I have been trying to find it for a long time as well.
1772
days inactive
1829
days old
3 comments
4 participants
participants (4)
-
Al Kossow -
arnold＠skeeve.com -
Bakul Shah -
Dennis Boone