[Milsurplus] [ARC5] film

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On Sun, Dec 2, 2012 at 9:07 PM, J. Forster <jfor at quikus.com> wrote:

> Well, it might be available at the Boston Public Library, but it is just
> not a useful format to me. I've got 5x7 card file drawers full of fiches
> and a couple of readers, but never use them. It's just too awkward to use
> a fiche while working on something.
>
> I don't even much like a laptop with a .pdf manual, to be honest. I really
> don't like to pan and scroll and zoom in and out. I'd much rather have a
> HC print.
>

Convenience and availability/survivability are completely different issues.
I have a lot of stuff stored on small floppies from 10 years ago that my
current computer won't read (no disk drive). My wife has an Olympus digital
camera from the 2003-2004 era that the newer (beyond XP) Windoze operating
systems won't load the software for.

I wonder what the long-term survivability of new CD/DVD disk is? At my
previous gov't job we had most everything stored on IBM 3590 tape
cartridges in silos and a lot of round tape. Eventually the round tapes
went away. IIRC, they figured 99 yrs more or less for viability. I think
CDs have a potential issue with laser burn, but if the goal is archival
that wouldn't be an issue.

~ Todd,  KA1KAQ/4