William Powell Lear, the man behind LearJet, was also the inventor of the 8-track cartridge tape system. During the early 1960s, a number of shell-encased continuous-loop audiotape systems coexisted. Lear's 8-track was by no means the first such system, in fact, the Lear cartridge is in most respects identical to the 4-track tape which came before it. The main mechanical difference between the two systems is that in a 4-track, the pinch roller is part of the player, whereas in an 8-track, the pinch roller is part of the tape cartridge. Read More
