How can I read a reel-to-reel tape from the 1970s?
- by Joe Wreschnig
A close friend of my mother worked at DEC in the 1970s and 1980s. She recently passed away, and in sorting through her estate, my mother discovered some reel-to-reel magnetic tape. We are curious about what might be on it. I haven't yet seen a picture of it, but Wikipedia tells me this is most likely DECtape.
Is there any chance the data on it is still good? It was not preserved with great care, but as far as we know it has also never been particularly abused. Just left in a box and moved a few times.
If the data is still valid, do we need to dig up a PDP or VAX or read it, or is there a more modern option?
