In message <Pine.LNX.4.30.0012150921140.15394-100000@grant.liveonthenet.com>, " John R. Grant" writes:

Yesterday, Roeland Meyer wrote:

...

I know for certain that it dates back to the pain-frame daze and originally refered to 9600 baud open-reel tape <snip>

<cringe> that would be 9600 bit per inch GCR format 9-track tape, don't you think? </cringe>

They didn't have nearly that density -- when I heard the phrase, it was 800 or 1600 bits per linear inch (1600' reels), with 8 bits (plus parity) across. And 200 bpi 6-track tapes were still in use, though being phased out. --Steve Bellovin