Magnetic Recording: The First 100 Years

Electrical Engineering/History of Technology Magnetic Recording The First 100 Years The first magnetic recording device was demonstrated and patented by the Danish inventor Valdemar Poulsen in 1898. Poulsen made a magnetic recording of his voice on a length of piano wire. Magnetic Recording traces the development of the watershed products and the technical breakthroughs in magnetic recording that took place during the century from Poulsen's experiment to today's ubiquitous audio, video, and data recording technologies, including tape recorders, video cassette recorders, and computer hard drives. An international author team brings a unique perspective, drawn from professional experience, to the history of magnetic recording applications. Their key insights shed light on how magnetic recording triumphed over all competing technologies and revolutionized the music, radio, television, and computer industries. They also show how these developments offer opportunities for future applications. Magnetic Recording features 116 illustrations, including 92 photographs of historic magnetic recording machines and their inventors.