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From: diamond@tkou02.enet.dec.com (diamond@tkovoa)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Universal machine-readable format?
Message-ID: <1926@tkou02.enet.dec.com>
Date: 16 Aug 90 01:48:31 GMT
References: <1990Aug15.165518.16675@phri.nyu.edu>
Reply-To: diamond@tkou02.enet.dec.com (diamond@tkovoa)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation Japan , Tokyo
Lines: 31

In article <1990Aug15.165518.16675@phri.nyu.edu> roy@alanine.phri.nyu.edu (Roy Smith) writes:

>	If you had to send some data in machine-readable form to somebody
>(perhaps many, unspecified, people), but had no idea what kind of machine
>they had, what format/media would you use to maximize the probability that
>it would be readable by the recipient?

The most common interchange medium is still ANSI standard 9-track tapes.
ANSI standard Quarter Inch Cartridges (QIC) are probably second.(*)
If you don't know what kind of machines the recipients have, I would
send both.

(I once wrote a tape when the only ANSI standard specified 800 bpi,
9 tracks.  A few years later, trying to find a machine that could
read 800 bpi ... so much for ANSI standards ...)

>	My first guess was a plain ascii file on a 720k 5.25" DOS floppy.
>It has already been pointed out to me that some people can't read 720k
>disks, so I'd do better with a 360k floppy.  Anybody have any better ideas?

Oh yes, if your "universe" is IBM(tm) PC computers and others that are
compatible with them, then 360k floppies also sound like a good idea.
If you don't know what kinds of machines the recipients have, I would
send all three.  Maybe a 3.whatever-inch Macintosh(tm) format floppy
as well.

(*)Although my articles are personal opinion, not my employer's opinion,
the guess about QICs is especially so.
-- 
Norman Diamond, Nihon DEC     diamond@tkou02.enet.dec.com
This is me speaking.  If you want to hear the company speak, you need DECtalk.