The following is the text of an IBM Information Systems Group press fact sheet distributed on March 22, 1984.
| Characteristics | IBM 3480 | IBM 3420 (model 8) |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal Data Rate | 3MB/sec
|
1.25MB/sec
|
| Recording Density | About 38,00 bytes/in.
|
6,250 bytes/in.
|
| Drive System | Reel To Reel Servo Control
|
Vacuum Columns
|
| Media | ½" Chromium Dioxide
|
½" Iron Oxide
|
| Magnetic Head | Thin Film
|
Laminated
|
| Tape Container | about 4" x 5" x 1" Cartridges
|
l0-½" Reels
|
| Format | 18 Tracks
|
9 Tracks
|
| Capacity (24K block size) | 200MB
|
165MB
|
| Data Buffering | Yes (512KB)
|
No
|
| Microprocessor Control | Yes
|
No
|
| Recommended Cleaning | Once/Week
|
Once/Shift
|