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IBM Sets Areal Density Record for Magnetic Tape
digitalPhant0m writes to tell us that IBM researchers have set a new world record for areal data density on linear magnetic tape, weighing in at around 29.5 billion bits per square inch. This achievement is roughly 39 times the density of current industry standard magnetic tape. "To achieve this feat, IBM Research has developed several new critical technologies, and for the past three years worked closely with FUJIFILM to optimize its next-generation dual-coat magnetic tape based on barium ferrite (BaFe) particles. [...] These new technologies are estimated to enable cartridge capacities that could hold up to 35 trillion bytes (terabytes) of uncompressed data. This is about 44 times the capacity of today's IBM LTO Generation 4 cartridge. A capacity of 35 terabytes of data is sufficient to store the text of 35 million books, which would require 248 miles (399 km) of bookshelves."
I wish I was a researcher working on improving areola density. I didn't think IBM had those kinds of jobs. It certainly never came up at the job fair they were at when I was in college.
My opinions are my own, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer.
... IBM researchers have set a record for compressing the most records of cattle onto clay tablets using their proprietary new cuneiform.
I'd tell you what the previous record was for backup tape... but it got archived at the end of my last backup and will take a few hours to get back. Sorry, I'll try harder next time.
You forgot the obligatory:
The tape can hold 3.5 libraries of congress, with a density of .00036 libraries per square inch.
Joe's Pizza Delivery and Data Courier Co loses the personal health and financial records of every human being on earth.
Oh boy! Finally a media that can hold my porn collection.
Back when computers where the domain on the cool, long before the time of the luser, tape was the thing to have for data storage. I am thrilled to see it come back. I can only hope it is off-white, has rounded corners, and has mechanical buttons to push and play. And of course, being tape, you can rest assured that the integrity of the data is there because you have two copies, one after the other. But don't put it on the radiator. Port 123, I love you!
Oh yeah. Assuming 400 MB per album (FLAC), a 35 TB tape will hold 87,500 of them. So, a million tracks, give or take. That should be fun to hunt through with nothing but FF and RW buttons!
I'm a recent college grad, and I'd like to thank you for pointing out my new crisis. Ever since I started my new job as a storage admin (IBM Mainframe), I freak out when I hear anyone say "It holds this many tracks!"
I start shivering and trying to convert Dr. Dre and Meatloaf to cylinders.....