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MISANU Virtual Museum

HP SureStore Optical 1300t

The HP SureStore Optical 1300T, developed by Hewlett-Packard (HP), was first publicly mentioned in late 1993, in the December 27, 1993 issue of InfoWorld. It entered active production and distribution in 1994, representing one of the most advanced solutions for long-term optical data storage of its time. This device used magneto-optical (MO) technology—data was written and read using a combination of laser and magnetic methods on rewritable MO disks with capacities of up to 1.3 GB, which was significant at a time when hard drives had much lower capacities and were more expensive. Technical specifications:

• Disk capacity: up to 1.3 GB
• Interface: via SCSI, ideal for fast and stable professional systems
• Compatibility: compatible with Windows, Unix, and Linux systems
• Usage: medical archives, document management systems, backups, and long-term storage of important files

The HP SureStore Optical 1300T was particularly valued in business environments where reliability was more important than speed—such as in medical diagnostics, legal and financial document archiving, and automated backup systems. Its storage media were resistant to magnetic fields and physical damage, giving it a clear advantage over magnetic tapes and floppy disks of the era. In a historical context, this device represents a transitional phase between physical and digital data storage—a bridge between magnetic media and future technologies such as CD/DVD, external hard drives, and eventually cloud storage. It helped lay the foundation for modern archival systems.

Creator: Hewlett-Packard (HP), 1997
Source: Mathematical Institute SASA
Text prepared by Vanja Korać
Photo by Dragan Aćimović