On legacy storage media such as cassette tape drives, which access method is typically used to obtain a specific record, given that the device must read data in order from the beginning toward the target?

Introduction / Context:
Magnetic cassette tapes were widely used in early microcomputers and data loggers. Unlike modern hard drives and solid-state drives, tapes impose mechanical constraints that determine how data is accessed. Understanding the correct access method is essential for estimating retrieval time and designing file formats that work efficiently on linear media.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The storage device is a cassette tape (linear magnetic medium).
• Records are written one after another along the tape length.
• The question asks which access method is used to read a record from such a device.

Concept / Approach:

Storage access methods describe how a system locates data. 'Sequential' access means data must be read in order, advancing past earlier bytes or records to reach a later one. 'Direct' or 'random' access means the device can jump straight to the required location without scanning the intervening data. Because a tape physically winds past a fixed head, it cannot instantly reposition to an arbitrary byte; it must spool through preceding sections first, making its natural method sequential access.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Mainframe and microcomputer tape formats (for example, backup streams) are processed in order. Even 'fast forward' is still linear transport—confirming sequential access as the governing model.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Direct / Random: require addressable positioning like disks; not possible on cassettes.
• All of the above / None: contradict the physical limitation of linear media.

Common Pitfalls:

• Confusing cartridge tapes used in libraries with hard disks; tapes remain linear despite improved transports.
• Assuming file systems make tapes random-access; they only add metadata, not instant seek capability.

Final Answer:

Sequential.