We hate 2020!

Just when we thought 2020 couldn't get any worse! We were about to re-open after many months of being closed but then disaster struck when a mains water pipe burst and flooded much of the ground floor of the museum.
Sadly re-opening has now been postponed. Read More >>>

No visitors, no workshops, no events, no school visits... no income. We know that things are tough for everyone right now, but if you can afford to help us through these tough times please donate what you can.

There's over 36,000 exhibits here! That should keep you occupied for a bit - get searching!

Or come and get involved on our social media channels ...

Thank you.

IBM’s new 3480 cartridge tape system introduced

1984
IBM’s new 3480 cartridge tape system introduced

Magnetic tape allows for inexpensive mass storage of information and so is a key part of the computer revolution. Announced in March 1984, IBM’s new 3480 cartridge tape system sought to replace the traditional reels of magnetic tape in the computer center with a 4” x 5” cartridge that held more information (200MB) and offered faster access to it.

BM withdrew the system in 1989 but the new format caught on with other computer makers who began making 3480-compatible storage systems for several years after that, offering increased storage capacity in the same physical format.