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From: barrett@jhunix.HCF.JHU.EDU (Dan Barrett)
Newsgroups: comp.misc,comp.periphs,rec.music.cd,rec.music.misc
Subject: What medium will be readable in 25 years?
Keywords: computer music
Message-ID: <8144@jhunix.HCF.JHU.EDU>
Date: 25 Apr 91 17:35:46 GMT
Followup-To: poster
Organization: The Johns Hopkins University - HCF
Lines: 40


	Suppose you were going to put some audio recordings and computer
media into a "time box" for 25 years.  At the end of 25 years, people would
open the box and look at/listen to the stuff inside.

	In 25 years, what media are the most likely to be READABLE?
For music:
		cassette tape?
		vinyl record?
		DAT?
		VHS?
		reel-to-reel?
		CD?  (Not really an option, since we need to record our own
		      music on it.)

For computers:
		3.5" disk?  For which computer?
		5.25" disk?  
		9-track tape?  tar?
		Punch cards? :-)
		Optical disk?

	A naive answer would be "whatever is newest".  But the newest
technologies (optical disks, for example) have been around only a short time;
perhaps they'll be totally obsolete later, and the older stuff (reel-to-reel
tape) abundant enough to justify keeping tape-players/readers around.

	Not many 8" floppy disk drives are available for PC's these days;
only 10 short years ago....

	E-mail is preferred -- thanks!

                                                        Dan

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