Who invented magnetic recording tape?

Answer 1

Magnetic tape for computers was introduced in 1951 on the UNIVAC i, but was probably "invented" in 1948 or 1949 while Eckert and Mauchly were trying to think of ways to get data into and out of a computer at "electronic speeds" to avoid the bottleneck of then existing electromechanical equipment.

Magnetic tape for audio goes back to the 1930's, although practical civilian applications had to wait for the end of WWII. (The Germans used magnetic tape during the war, while the Allies had only wire recorders.)

Answer 2

First came magnetic recording wire, before tape.

The first use of magnetic tape with computers with computers was on UNIVAC I, so computer magnetic tape was probably invented by J. Presper Eckert. This tape had a thin nickel plating on one side of a bronze tape.

Answer 3

Shortly after WW2 cellulose acetate audio tape was developed. Before that recordings were don on spools of magnetic wire. IBM started using cellulose acetate magnetic tape on their first computers in 1952.

Answer 4

Magnetic tape was invented in 1928 in Germany for sound recording to replace magnetic wire sound recording.

Magnetic tape was first used to record computer data in 1951 on the UNIVAC I computer.

Typically the data on the tape was separated into 80 character fixed length records corresponding to punchcards. Individual records could be overwritten with new data as information changed, eliminating the need to punch replacement cards and then collate them into the deck in the correct places to replace out of date cards.