Re: OT but possibly important: shelf life of CD's

Peter Lacey wrote:
Kurt Gerecke, a storage expert at IBM Deutschland Gmbh, is quoted in the
January 20 issue of Computerworld Canada as stating that burned CD's,
unlike pressed original CD's, have a shelf life of 2-3 years, and
recommending that for long-term storage magnetic tape should be used. He would seem to be a plausible source! Is there anything else current
in the news about this? (I don't get many of the trade mags). If it's
true - what are the implications for cold storage? Or are CD's not used
all that much? (I'm asking because it's something I've never had to
worry about. I have 30-year-old 800bpi tapes that are still readable!)

PL

Can't quote specifics but was surprised to see a small article in the Calgary Herald about a year back making exactly the same point. The 'bits' deteriorate over time. I can't recall exactly, but I believe mag tapes were the recommended storage device.

Jimmy
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