Groups > alt.folklore.computers > #235374

Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape

From	Chris Ahlstrom <OFeem1987@teleworm.us>
Newsgroups	alt.folklore.computers
Subject	Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape
Date	2026-08-25 15:07 -0400
Organization	None
Message-ID	<116kp4k$1rk$2@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References	<116g0jl$2apg7$1@dont-email.me>

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Lawrence D’Oliveiro wrote this screed in ALL-CAPS (fixed):

> Maxell is partnering with another company to bring out a new line of
> audio cassette tapes
> <https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/storage/maxell-partners-with-disk-union-to-release-ud-60u-special-edition-cassettes-black-and-red-ud-tapes-could-be-ideal-for-use-in-your-c64-datassette>.
>
> These are “Type I” (ferric oxide) tapes, not the best fidelity for
> audio recordings, due to their poorer high-frequency response.
> However, the article suggests that retrocomputing enthusiasts trying
> to relive the (very early) days of using cassettes as a data-storage
> medium might be interested:
>
>     Nevertheless, ferric tapes are ideal for 8-bit home computer tape
>     storage. They would be perfect partners to a C64 Datassette, or
>     for any tape interface you may have used with a VIC-20, Plus/4, ZX
>     Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, MSX, BBC Micro, and so on. The square-ish
>     digital pulses used to encode data to audio (and read it back) are
>     actually in the sweet spot for ferric tape on low-end mechanisms.
>
> My immediate thought is: “you got to be kidding, right?” Not that I
> have personal experience of such usage, but everything I’ve heard says
> that they were clunky, slow, unreliable, frustrating, and basically a
> sheer pain to use as a computer data/program storage medium. Who would
> want to willingly suffer through those days again?

I bought a tap deck for my VIC-20.  Keyed in a BASIC modem program
and saved it for reuse. Logged into the university mainframe with
it.

As for the other uses for cassettes, I'd hide a microphone under
the seat of my dad's rent-a-car for Saturday visitation (divorced
parents), troll him until he'd overreact, and later play the
recording for my mother.

I was a smart-ass little bastard.

-- 
Trouble always comes at the wrong time.

Thread

The Return Of Cassette Tape Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-08-23 23:43 +0000
  Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-08-24 02:47 +0000
    Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape "Kerr-Mudd, John" <admin@127.0.0.1> - 2026-08-25 11:25 +0100
      Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape ... and punch cards? "Mr. Chang Man-wai" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2026-08-25 20:34 +0800
        Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape ... and punch cards? jerryab <jerryab@juno.com> - 2026-08-25 09:39 -0500
        [OT] Arguably unreasonable crossposts (was: Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape ... and punch cards?) Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-08-25 18:37 +0100
        Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape ... and punch cards? rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-08-26 05:16 +0000
          Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape ... and punch cards? "Mr. Chang Man-wai" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2026-08-28 19:47 +0800
        Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape ... and punch cards? JJ <jj4public@gmail.com> - 2026-08-26 16:42 +0700
          Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape ... and punch cards? "Mr. Chang Man-wai" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2026-08-28 19:44 +0800
            Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape ... and punch cards? Peter Flass <Peter@Iron-Spring.com> - 2026-08-28 08:05 -0700
              Re: The Return Of .... ink+pen+paper? clay tablet? "Mr. Chang Man-wai" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2026-08-29 10:23 +0800
            Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape ... and punch cards? knuttle <keith_nuttle@yahoo.com> - 2026-08-28 11:39 -0400
              Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape ... and punch cards? Peter Flass <Peter@Iron-Spring.com> - 2026-08-28 13:07 -0700
                Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape ... and punch cards? Hank Rogers <Hank@nospam.invalid> - 2026-08-28 17:36 -0500
                Re: The Return Of ... Dark Age? "Mr. Chang Man-wai" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2026-08-29 10:33 +0800
                Re: The Return Of .... monks laboriously copying a manuscript by hand? "Mr. Chang Man-wai" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2026-08-29 10:26 +0800
                Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape ... and punch cards? "Carlos E. R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-08-29 22:38 +0200
                Re: The Return Of ... replication old things? "Mr. Chang Man-wai" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2026-08-30 04:43 +0800
                Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape ... and punch cards? Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-08-29 22:02 +0000
              Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape ... and punch cards? Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-08-28 22:20 +0000
              Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape ... and punch cards? Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> - 2026-08-29 03:51 -0400
        Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape ... and punch cards? Daniel70 <daniel47@nomail.afraid.org> - 2026-08-26 19:50 +1000
          Re: The Return Of .... Time of creation? "Mr. Chang Man-wai" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2026-08-29 10:36 +0800
      Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-08-25 21:35 +0000
        Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-08-26 01:34 +0200
          Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-08-26 05:23 +0000
        Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-08-26 05:21 +0000
          Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape Chris Ahlstrom <OFeem1987@teleworm.us> - 2026-08-27 12:02 -0400
            Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-08-27 21:12 +0000
              Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape Peter Flass <Peter@Iron-Spring.com> - 2026-08-27 14:18 -0700
                Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2026-08-27 21:48 +0000
      Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-08-26 05:14 +0000
        Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape SpallsHurgenson(NG) <user14325@newsgrouper.org.invalid> - 2026-08-26 15:02 +0000
          Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-08-26 18:54 +0200
            Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-08-27 00:48 +0000
              Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-08-27 08:39 +0200
                Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-08-27 21:10 +0000
            Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape SpallsHurgenson(NG) <user14325@newsgrouper.org.invalid> - 2026-08-28 14:53 +0000
              Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-08-28 22:22 +0000
              Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape "Kurt Weiske" <kurt.weiske@realitycheckbbs.org.remove-lo6-this> - 2026-08-29 08:39 -0700
                Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape Chris Ahlstrom <OFeem1987@teleworm.us> - 2026-08-29 15:47 -0400
                Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape Bob Eager <throwaway0008@eager.cx> - 2026-08-29 20:16 +0000
                Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2026-08-29 21:07 +0000
                Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape Chris Ahlstrom <OFeem1987@teleworm.us> - 2026-08-30 12:18 -0400
                Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape Bob Eager <throwaway0008@eager.cx> - 2026-08-30 20:36 +0000
                Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-08-31 03:09 +0000
                Connector, plugs and socket naming (was: Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape) Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-08-31 10:18 +0100
                Re: Connector, plugs and socket naming (was: Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape) Bob Eager <throwaway0008@eager.cx> - 2026-08-31 10:18 +0000
                Re: [CORRECTION] Connector, plugs and socket naming (was: Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape) Bob Eager <throwaway0008@eager.cx> - 2026-08-31 10:24 +0000
                Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape SpallsHurgenson(NG) <user14325@newsgrouper.org.invalid> - 2026-08-29 22:31 +0000
                Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-08-30 10:24 +0100
                Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-08-30 20:00 +0000
                Old cables and other things to hoard (Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape) Lars Poulsen <lars@beagle-ears.com> - 2026-08-30 06:48 -0700
                Re: Old cables and other things to hoard (Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape) Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2026-08-30 15:49 +0000
                Re: Old cables and other things to hoard (Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape) Peter Flass <Peter@Iron-Spring.com> - 2026-08-30 12:48 -0700
                Re: Old cables and other things to hoard (Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape) "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-08-31 13:04 +0200
                Re: Old cables and other things to hoard (Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape) scott@alfter.diespammersdie.us (Scott Alfter) - 2026-09-11 15:16 +0000
                Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape John Ames <commodorejohn@gmail.com> - 2026-08-31 09:22 -0700
              Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape scott@alfter.diespammersdie.us (Scott Alfter) - 2026-09-11 14:46 +0000
          Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-08-27 01:22 +0000
      Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape Daniel <me@fuhgitabutit.com> - 2026-08-28 01:09 -0700
        Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape Bob Eager <throwaway0008@eager.cx> - 2026-08-28 11:43 +0000
        Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape John Ames <commodorejohn@gmail.com> - 2026-08-28 08:45 -0700
        Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-08-28 21:35 +0000
          Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2026-08-29 00:20 +0000
          Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape Chris Ahlstrom <OFeem1987@teleworm.us> - 2026-08-29 09:55 -0400
  Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape Chris Ahlstrom <OFeem1987@teleworm.us> - 2026-08-25 15:07 -0400
    Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-08-26 05:13 +0000
      Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2026-08-26 18:08 +0000
        Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-08-27 00:45 +0000
      Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape Chris Ahlstrom <OFeem1987@teleworm.us> - 2026-08-27 11:58 -0400
  Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape antispam@fricas.org (Waldek Hebisch) - 2026-08-26 14:11 +0000
    Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-08-27 00:52 +0000
      Re: The Return Of Cassette Tape "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2026-08-27 08:44 +0200

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