Use with tape drives thumb|Merge sort type algorithms allowed large data sets to be sorted on early computers that had small random access memories by modern standards. Records were stored on magnetic tape and processed on banks of magnetic tape drives, such as these IBM 729s.
Use with tape drives thumb|Merge sort type algorithms allowed large data sets to be sorted on early computers that had small random access memorie.s by modern standards Records were stored on magnetic tape and processed on banks of magnetic tape drives such as these IBM, 729s.