"DoN. Nichols" wrote:
On 2010-10-23, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Fri, 22 Oct 2010 17:45:27 -0800, Jon Anderson
wrote:
[ ... ]
And you bring up a really good point about digital libraries. Printed
books can be handed down through several generations or more if cared for.
[ ... ]
So can Ebook formats, if you save them on DVDs/CDs and so forth..or
preferably..a USB hard drive that you refresh every 4-5 yrs
And give your DRM code in your last will and testiment...G
That can preserve the data -- but how long will there be
compatible eBook readers to use those formats? There is a lot of
computer media which can't be read which is less than 50 years old.
How many of you have the ability to read punched tape formats?
(Let's see -- the common ones are 5-level Baudot, and 8-level ASCII
punched tape (from Teletypes and the like), but there are also other bit
codes which used the 8-level punched tape, such as the Freiden
Flexowriter (Sort of an 8-bit version of EBCDIC, but with shift-up and
shift-down codes needed)
And how many people have the equipment to play 78 RPM records
these days? (Let alone Edison cylinder recordings?)
I have at least a dozen turntables that will play 78s.
And if you do -- how long will the sylus last on your turntable?
They are still being made.
How many have reel-to-reel magnetic tape recorders?
A couple. And a broadcast cart machine.
How about wire recorders?
Lost it in a rental warehouse when I got sick.
Amy movies in Beta format?
How about the large video disk format?
There are amazing collections of media which are no longer
readable in a practical sense.
For that matter -- how long will CD and DVD recorders be
available?
How many still have 5-1/4" floppy drives on their computers?
180 KB, 360KB, 720 KB and 1.2MB 5.25".
(3-1/2" ones are fading away too, and what about 8" ones?
720 KB, 808 KB and 1.44 MB 3.5".
I still have those, but I would have to work to restart the machines
which use the 8" floppys.
I still have some half height double sided 8" floppy drives that
don't need AC power, and some floppies.
However -- print still works, as long as you have light (and
know how to read, of course). :-)
And the ink hasn't faded.
--
Politicians should only get paid if the budget is balanced, and there is
enough left over to pay them.