>>>>>[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?
>>>>
>>>>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.
>>>
>>>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.
>
>tar and shar were relatively convenient way to bundle files for transport.

You say it. Relatively and just for transport - if one need to untar all the access problems simply where not existing.
The most odd, slow and error prone idea was tar.z - the whole tar ball zipped as one file. Instead of zipping the single files.
(－‸ლ)

Don't get me wrong, tar is a nice tool, but for transporting data there are better.