>>>[shrug] perhaps the reference to "tape" is something like "tar" on *nix systems? (i.e. an file bundling format rather than physical media) ... or the virtual cardpunch/reader found on IBMs VM systems was used to transport data between different computers?
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>>I always head the idea tar is /was the directory structure used on tapes. You need to read the whole data to get the last file. No random access. The 'nix folks just stuck to it - tar is a mighty tool, but the file format. OMIPU.
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>A tar file would be analogous to creating an ISO file prior to burning data onto CD-ROM or DVD-ROM (storage to tape and optical disc could be timing-sensitive -- writing to a single file would help the data to stream more consistently, especially if the buffering capability is limited).

In the days of yore one would stream the output direct to the tape - not enough space for a buffer this large. ;)
But the 'nix idea of devices, files and mounts simply allows to redirect the output to a file - or what I do direct stream to untar it into a temp folder to zip it later on. The tar is great for backup control, but as storage, tar-ball, shudder.