High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The IBM 729 Magnetic Tape Unit was IBMs iconic tape mass storage system from the late 1950s through the mid 1960s. Part of the IBM 7 track family of tape units, it was used on late 700, most 7000 and manyMoreHigh Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles!
The IBM 729 Magnetic Tape Unit was IBMs iconic tape mass storage system from the late 1950s through the mid 1960s. Part of the IBM 7 track family of tape units, it was used on late 700, most 7000 and many 1400 series computers. Like its predecessor, the IBM 727 and many successors, the 729 used 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) magnetic tape up to 2400 feet (730 m) long wound on reels up to 10 inch (267 mm) diameter.
To allow rapid tape acceleration, long vacuum columns were placed between the tape reels and the read/write heads.