Jump cartridges

[kilemall]

This ceramic storage medium looks like the perfect real world jump cartridge. Very space friendly too, largely immune to radiation and temperature ranges.

Obscure startup plans 10,000 TB cartridges with 'cheap' material used in restrooms

Updated: Ceramic may displace holographic, DNA and silica as the next big thing in exotic storage

www.techradar.com

 

[Straybow]

It would probably be SD card size, rather than 8-track tape cartridge size that seems to be Traveller.

 

[Condottiere]

I'm inclined to think more it's a read only mini laser disc.

 

[Spinward Scout]

I'm inclined to think more it's a read only mini laser disc.

BluRay should have higher density by then.

 

[Condottiere]

 

[Spinward Flow]

 

[Vargr Breath]

It would be really bad when you put in your cartridge for the next jump and all you get is 2,000,Light Years from Home.

 

[BlackBat242]

It would probably be SD card size, rather than 8-track tape cartridge size that seems to be Traveller.

Are you sure how much data is part of the course /jump drive control program on that cartridge?

And how much volume is devoted to anti-hacking and auto self-erasing functions?

I'm inclined to think more it's a read only mini laser disc.

Or a Zip drive cartridge (2.5" x 2.5"):

 

[kilemall]

Not really, I dealt with those things during the early stages of my career. Cleaning them, including the head and those channels you see at the bottom (light sensors providing feedback so the tape doesn’t get sucked down too far the channel).

Pretty much dead media the moment you walk it near any of the superconducting magnets, electric motors or power cables in a ship.

The weakest link in many data retention/disaster recovery scenario. No opportunity to do heroic data recovery like I did, but what self respecting TL9+ org or ship would want to risk it?

 

[whulorigan]

Not really, I dealt with those things during the early stages of my career. Cleaning them, including the head and those channels you see at the bottom (light sensors providing feedback so the tape doesn’t get sucked down too far the channel).

Pretty much dead media the moment you walk it near any of the superconducting magnets, electric motors or power cables in a ship.

The weakest link in many data retention/disaster recovery scenario. No opportunity to do heroic data recovery like I did, but what self respecting TL9+ org or ship would want to risk it?

Just make sure you back your data up with a punch-card reader (like you could always hear Spock doing at his console on the NCC-1701).

 

[kilemall]

Just make sure you back your data up with a punch-card reader (like you could always hear Spock doing at his console on the NCC-1701).

Gaaah, not helping!

 

[coliver988]

Just make sure you back your data up with a punch-card reader (like you could always hear Spock doing at his console on the NCC-1701).

actually used punch cards in college for assembly on an IBM 360.

but I envision the 8-track approach here for size as well, that was what was popular when I first played Traveller. And how you first encounter things tends to stick with you.

 

[willtron3030]

"It's a Dull." Amazing how the design aesthetic really hasn't changed much.

My first non-academic, non-retail job was "Tape Ape" (the HR term of art was "Digital Storage Media Librarian I"). I had the misfortune of crushing one of the drive capstans whilst cleaning. The delicacy of those capstans really drove home the impositions of Newton's First Law. I also learned how to read EBCDIC directly from stretched or otherwise damaged magnetic tape using "developer fluid" and a jeweler's loupe. I'm not sure how long it would take me to explain that to someone born in the 90s or later.

 

[willtron3030]

 

[Condottiere]

I love making jokes about eight tracks, but I think it really would be laser discs.

The question would be what happens if it has a scratch.

Or dust.

 

[Spinward Flow]

Actually ... if Cerabyte is successful with their new data storage technology solution, tape drive long term storage could very well make a resurgence.

When articles start writing about ushering in the Yottabyte Era using ceramic layers on tape ... there might be something to the idea ...

 

[coliver988]

or glass: https://www.tomshardware.com/news/m...ilica-glass-media-as-a-cloud-storage-solution

 

[Vargr Breath]

I love making jokes about eight tracks, but I think it really would be laser discs.

The question would be what happens if it has a scratch.

Or dust.

Think more VCR than 8 track. You would go to the local Starport Blockbuster type store and wander around looking at all the destination Jump Cartridges to find the one you want.

 

[whulorigan]

Think more VCR than 8 track. You would go to the local Starport Blockbuster type store and wander around looking at all the destination Jump Cartridges to find the one you want.

. . . and discover that the last navigator didn't rewind the tape . . .

 

[whartung]

This is the hot tip right here:

Non-volatile, radiation hard, density. Win win win!