Mágneskazetta

Mágneskazetta is the Hungarian term for magnetic tape. It refers to a medium used for storing data, most commonly audio or video, but also computer data. Magnetic tape consists of a thin, flexible strip of plastic coated with a magnetic material. This magnetic material can be magnetized to represent binary data.

The development of magnetic tape technology began in the mid-20th century. Early applications included audio recording, with Reel-to-reel tape recorders becoming popular for professional and home use. Later, the compact cassette, also known as a musicassette, revolutionized music consumption by making portable and affordable audio recording and playback widely accessible.

In the realm of computing, magnetic tapes served as a primary form of data storage for many decades, particularly for archival purposes and large backups. While less common for everyday use now, tape drives are still employed in enterprise environments for their cost-effectiveness and reliability in long-term data preservation. The principle of operation involves a read/write head that magnetizes or detects magnetization on the tape as it passes by. This process allows for sequential access to data, meaning data must be read or written in order from the beginning or end of the tape.