History (1998): Actuator for Tape Drives

IBM has just filed a patent for a highly original idea: a tape drive actuator, relatively similar to an HDD actuator.

The abstract explains that the drive will include an actuator that carries the read/write head, driven by a voice coil, and enables translational movement of the head transversal to the direction of tape travel while the tape is scrolled by the head.

This article is an abstract of news published on issue 125 on June 1998 from the former paper version of Computer Data Storage Newsletter.

Note: To our knowledge, this technology never appears on the market.