Tapes and close to a quarter-century.

[Tom Buskey]

On 9/21/06, Ben Scott <dragonhawk at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On 9/21/06, Tom Buskey <tom at buskey.name> wrote:
> > Magnetic media will fade over time due to the earth's magnetic field.
>
>   Everything wears out.
>
>   Tapes, CDs, DVDs, HDs, and just about all other computer media
> certainly wear out.  Magnetic patterns fade, dyes change color with
> age, coatings gas out, plastic layers delaminate.  Almost none of this
> stuff is designed to last for very long, and even the stuff that is
> often doesn't fare all that well or is limited to a few decades.



Of course.  You have to keep refreshing it.

Many manufacturers have trouble keeping stuff working for a five year
> warranty.  "100 year media"?  Let's check back in 100 years and see
> how much of it still works.


Heh.  I have more confidence in the Archival CDs lasting 10 years then I do
in the regular CDs.  Then I'll dup 'em again to another archival media.


  Even paper doesn't last long if not preserved.


Film negatives in a shoebox have been surprisingly stable.
Paper?  Better be acid free :-)

At least with digital, it should be easier to transfer to the new media...
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