History (1984): IBM 3480 Tape Cartridge

This article was published by the Museum of Obsolete Media.

IBM 3480 (1984 – 2004)

IBM introduced the 3480 tape cartridge format in 1984 for use on the IBM System/370 computers to replace the existing 9-track tape reel format.

The 3480 cartridge consisted of a 4-inch by 5-inch rectangular protective shell containing a single reel of half-inch chromium dioxide tape.

The take-up reel is inside the drive.

By employing 18 recording tracks, data transfer was much faster than 9-track tape, and a cartridge could store 200MB, more than a standard 10.5-inch reel of 9-track tape.

Various manufacturers made drives, and tapes were transferable between different manufacturer’s drives.

In 1986, hardware-based data compression (known as IDRC or Improved Data Recording Capability) allowed for 400MB per cartridge, and these cartridges were named as the IBM 3490.

This was followed by the IBM 3490E format in 1991, employing 36 tracks and allowing up to 2.4GB of compressed storage.

The IBM 3480 family of formats was superseded by the IBM 3590 or Magstar family, and the last IBM 3480 family drives were manufactured in 2004.