[cctalk] Re: Odd IBM mass storage systems (was: Re: Re: IBM 360)
On Fri, Apr 12, 2024 at 9:45 AM Christian Kennedy via cctalk wrote: While on the topic of odd IBM mass storage systems, does anyone recall an IBM system that used rotating carousels holding sheets of magnetic material? The carousel would rotate to position the selected sheet into the read/write station, where it would be moved up and down relative to the multiple fixed heads, a weird linear riff on a fixed head disk. Nowhere near as cool, . . . About 30 years ago? (When libraries would DEDICATE a PC for each CDROM that they had) Keith Hensen made a device consisting of a carousel holding 240 CD/CD-ROM/DVDs. It had a name something like "Qubik"? It was in a square box with a smoked plexiglass cover, with a drive at each corner. They were stackable. The drives were SCSI, the carousel controls were RS232. -- Grumpy Ol' Fred ci...@xenosoft.com
[cctalk] Re: Odd IBM mass storage systems (was: Re: Re: IBM 360)
On Fri, Apr 12, 2024 at 9:45 AM Christian Kennedy via cctalk < cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote: > > While on the topic of odd IBM mass storage systems, does anyone recall > an IBM system that used rotating carousels holding sheets of magnetic > material? The carousel would rotate to position the selected sheet into > the read/write station, where it would be moved up and down relative to > the multiple fixed heads, a weird linear riff on a fixed head disk. > > LBL had one of these systems, installed in the same room as one of the > few examples of the IBM 1360 photo digital storage system. They kept a > broom next to the later in order to sweep up the photo chips when the > thing occasionally spewed them everywhere. > I don't know if you saw it but the video at this link that Len Shustek posted shows a machine very similar to what you describe ==> https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102740069 Sellam
