So How Many Cassette Tapes Does it Take to Hold A Copy Of Windows XP?
by CMB
on 9/14/2006 at 9/14/2006 09:50:00 PM.
After the last post it is time to actually do the calculation. In the last post I stipulated only two things. 1. that we use 1980's technology and 2. we use standard 90 minute long audio tapes. In particular I'm going to assume you're using one of these:
The Commodore 64 Datasette. It turns out that nobody ever gives an exact figure for the amount of data you can actually fit on a cassette, so we'll have to try to figure it out.
A datasette can read data in at a rate of 30-60 bytes/s[1] relatively reliably. This datarate gives a storage capacity of around 200kb (158kb - 211kb) for a typical 30 minute (per side) Commodore 64 cassette. The datasette recorder could, however work with a 90 minute cassette, and we achieve a figure of 202kb-316kb per 90 minute cassette tape.
This number has quite a bit of uncertainty so I kept looking and found another site[2], which states that
This is inside the range suggested by the first method so I'll adopt a value of 207 kb per C90 audio cassette
The second number we need is the amount of data on a genuine Windows XP CD. I don't have one to hand but do remember that Windows XP almost precisely fills one CD. Therefore I'll use a value of 666,000 kb per copy of Windows XP (681,984,000 bytes / 1024)
From there the solution is easy to calculate...
We have a pretty clear winner in the form of JCH. Good work John.
Going onto the pile of projects I want to do and will never have the time/inclination: Find 3217 cassette cases and glue them together in a big square. Place coloured inserts into each case so that the cassettes form a large windows logo.
Thought provoking and geeky. Certainly better than the last piece of art we had hanging in the department.
This is probably the most pathetically nerdalicious post I have ever written. I'm going to make a point of doing something really cool tomorrow to try and average everything out.
[1] http://starbase.globalpc.net/~vanessa/hobbies/commodore-info.html
[2]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64_peripherals
[3]http://web.forret.com/tools/filesize.asp?speed=300&unit=baud&dur=60
The Commodore 64 Datasette. It turns out that nobody ever gives an exact figure for the amount of data you can actually fit on a cassette, so we'll have to try to figure it out.
A datasette can read data in at a rate of 30-60 bytes/s[1] relatively reliably. This datarate gives a storage capacity of around 200kb (158kb - 211kb) for a typical 30 minute (per side) Commodore 64 cassette. The datasette recorder could, however work with a 90 minute cassette, and we achieve a figure of 202kb-316kb per 90 minute cassette tape.
This number has quite a bit of uncertainty so I kept looking and found another site[2], which states that
"the datasette functioned similarly to a 300 baud modem". The word 'baud' just means how many 0's and 1's can be transmitted every second. In the simplest case the number of bits you send per second is just equal to the baud rate. However, using clever encoding schemes the actual transmitted bps can be significantly higher than the baud. I don't really understand enough about the encoding to do the calculations myself so just used some sort of automated online converter[3] to get the answer of 2.3kb/min or 207kb/cassette.This is inside the range suggested by the first method so I'll adopt a value of 207 kb per C90 audio cassette
The second number we need is the amount of data on a genuine Windows XP CD. I don't have one to hand but do remember that Windows XP almost precisely fills one CD. Therefore I'll use a value of 666,000 kb per copy of Windows XP (681,984,000 bytes / 1024)
From there the solution is easy to calculate...
One full copy of the Windows XP install could fit on 3217 C90 audio cassettes
We have a pretty clear winner in the form of JCH. Good work John.
Going onto the pile of projects I want to do and will never have the time/inclination: Find 3217 cassette cases and glue them together in a big square. Place coloured inserts into each case so that the cassettes form a large windows logo.
Thought provoking and geeky. Certainly better than the last piece of art we had hanging in the department.
This is probably the most pathetically nerdalicious post I have ever written. I'm going to make a point of doing something really cool tomorrow to try and average everything out.
[1] http://starbase.globalpc.net/~vanessa/hobbies/commodore-info.html
[2]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64_peripherals
[3]http://web.forret.com/tools/filesize.asp?speed=300&unit=baud&dur=60
