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Old 11th Jul 2019, 8:50 pm   #18
broadgage
Nonode
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: North Somerset, UK.
Posts: 2,129
Default Re: The best data storage system that never took off.

One "read only" data storage system that never took of was not really electronic at all. 35mm film, not used to project moving images as in a cinema, but with each frame consisting of a separate picture. Either a page of text or an illustration.
The images being back projected on to a small translucent screen.

The fire brigades used this to carry on the fire engine, details of industrial chemicals and on how to proceed in case of fire or other accident involving these.
An alphabetical or other index was shewn on the bottom of the screen.

So if a fire officer found that CYCLO-HEXANE was involved in fire, they would "fast forward" the film until the index letter reached C and then slow forward until the desired entry was reached. This might consist of a dozen frames giving details of the properties and risks of the material.

A similar system was proposed for hospital casualty departments, giving details of relatively rare accidents, diseases, and poisons, Things that the average doctor might see but once, or never in a working lifetime.
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