What are merits and demerits of magnetic tape?

Merits: Magnetic tape is an inexpensive and reliable data storage option for large amounts of data. It has a long lifespan and can be easily stored offline for backup purposes. Demerits: Magnetic tape has slower read/write speeds compared to other storage mediums like solid-state drives. It is also susceptible to damage from magnetic fields and requires specialized hardware for reading and writing data.