Texas Instruments TI-99 cassette tape storage: how did it work?

[80251]

I remember it was possible to use cassette tapes with an ancient TI-99 (and my family's TI-99 came with the specialized cassette tape deck needed), but I never did because all it was used for was gaming and it had carts for that. Was the cassette tape storage used to store data for useful programs (e.g. word processing and/or spreadsheet software and/or for BASIC programs written by the end user)?

What does Texas Instruments do now? I remember when I was in college TI had an excellent scientific calculator and I think they manufactured IBM XT or IBM AT clones at some point.

 

[Deleted member 24505]

I remember it was possible to use cassette tapes with an ancient TI-99 (and my family's TI-99 came with the specialized cassette tape deck needed), but I never did because all it was used for was gaming and it had carts for that. Was the cassette tape storage used to store data for useful programs (e.g. word processing and/or spreadsheet software and/or for BASIC programs written by the end user)?

What does Texas Instruments do now? I remember when I was in college TI had an excellent scientific calculator and I think they manufactured IBM XT or IBM AT clones at some point.

TI is massive now.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Instruments

I had a TI99/4a too

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

I remember Commodore used for cassettes

Load "*name*" 1,1

8,1 for floppy disks (5.25 inch ones)

If you saved multiple items on cassette, if it wasnt cued to the correct spot, the tape would run until it finds it. So short duration cassettes were desired.

 

[80251]

I remember Commodore used for cassettes

8,1 for floppy disks (5.25 inch ones)

If you saved multiple items on cassette, if it wasnt cued to the correct spot, the tape would run until it finds it. So short duration cassettes were desired.

What if the tape was past the point where your file was saved? Would it FF to the end of the tape then rewind and start all over again? Or would it rewind the tape before it even began searching?

 

[eidairaman1]

What if the tape was past the point where your file was saved? Would it FF to the end of the tape then rewind and start all over again? Or would it rewind the tape before it even began searching?

Probably on screen ask to change tape

 

[oobymach]

Tape drives like the old timey servers used were reel to reel magnetic tape read similar to the way vcr did and if your data was at the opposite end of the tape it had to spool to the other end to get it. Very inefficient for file storage they were often used on conjunction with other reel to reel machines like an early raid to speed up access.

I had a friend who did tape backups back in the day with the smaller digital tapes when it was cheaper than buying extra hard drives and could store much more than cd's at the time.

 

[eidairaman1]

They are still around for archival purposes

 

[R-T-B]

They are still around for archival purposes

Yep in large scale backup realm tape is still king.

 

[eidairaman1]

Yep in large scale backup realm tape is still king.

Supposedly every 2 years or so they continue to improve it.

 

[R-T-B]

Supposedly every 2 years or so they continue to improve it.

fast tape go faster. BRRR!

Yeah there's a bit more to it than that but I had to do the meme.

 

[80251]

Yep in large scale backup realm tape is still king.

At the datacenter I used to work with they had a large tape backup machine that auto-loaded it's own tapes. It's was quite an expensive bit of kit.

 

[eidairaman1]

At the datacenter I used to work with they had a large tape backup machine that auto-loaded it's own tapes. It's was quite an expensive bit of kit.

Watch the movie hackers from 95 or 96

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

What if the tape was past the point where your file was saved? Would it FF to the end of the tape then rewind and start all over again? Or would it rewind the tape before it even began searching?

no you have to manually cue the cassettes, no auto FF or rewind.

 

[80251]

no you have to manually cue the cassettes, no auto FF or rewind.

Did the TI-99 need to actually play the cassette to find the file? Or could it FF/RW through the cassette to find it? I had thought the tape heads on a cassette player were not engaged during FF or RW?

 

[Mac the Geek]

Did the TI-99 need to actually play the cassette to find the file? Or could it FF/RW through the cassette to find it? I had thought the tape heads on a cassette player were not engaged during FF or RW?

I had an ordinary cassette player that I used; it had standard eighth-inch output jacks. Had a cable that plugged one end into the player, and the other end into the TI-99. It couldn't do any seeking of its own; I had to cue up the tape manually, and then either press the play button (to load) or record (to save).

I did occasionally use tape to record programs I had typed out of a magazine, but my most frequent use by far was for Tunnels of Doom savegames.

 

[AsRock]

I remember Commodore used for cassettes

8,1 for floppy disks (5.25 inch ones)

If you saved multiple items on cassette, if it wasnt cued to the correct spot, the tape would run until it finds it. So short duration cassettes were desired.

Same with the Amstrad\Spectrum as well.

What if the tape was past the point where your file was saved? Would it FF to the end of the tape then rewind and start all over again? Or would it rewind the tape before it even began searching?

Well you would load the game which would get you to end of data area for saving\loading, some games required you to flip the tape or even insert another.

 

[80251]

Same with the Amstrad\Spectrum as well.



Well you would load the game which would get you to end of data area for saving\loading, some games required you to flip the tape or even insert another.

So you could only record one file(?) to each side of the cassette tape?

 

[Frick]

In Finland a radio show used to broadcast code for listeners to record.

Experiments in airborne BASIC—”buzzing” computer code over FM radio

Before the ‘Net, Finland created a primetime program-sharing radio service.

arstechnica.com

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

So you could only record one file(?) to each side of the cassette tape?

it was strongly recommended you do for fear of recording over your data.

 

[80251]

it was strongly recommended you do for fear of recording over your data.

Only one file, I guess buying the smallest possible cassette tape made sense then. How many minutes of tape did it take to record a file?

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

Only one file, I guess buying the smallest possible cassette tape made sense then. How many minutes of tape did it take to record a file?

I dont remember exactly, that was 30+ years ago