I don't know about outer space but that was a fairly popular medium for distributing audio files including computer programs; they were real grooved audio disks similar but smaller than a 45 RPM record but on a thin flexible medium similar to the cookie in a 5 1/4" diskette. They were usually inserted into a magazine and could contain music, short ebooks like instructions for example and of course computer programs and data; you played them on a normal phonograph or stereo and, in the case of computer data either played them directly into the cassette input or copied them to cassette first. I think I too still have a few somewhere. I think that's the 'floppy ROM' that Walt is talking about.
As to turntables not needing gravity there were indeed vertical units that you could mount on a wall; I also still have one of those. Then there were the 45 RPM players installed in cars; they also used some fancy compensating mechanisms like the 'Walkmans' to deal with the bumpy roads. m On Sun, Jul 7, 2024 at 10:14 PM John R. Hogerhuis <[email protected]> wrote: > > I like the idea of distributing a mini phonograph with a cassette program. > That was done at least once. But I guess you'd have to figure out how to do > it in space since most players rely on gravity to hold down the needle arm. > > -- John.
