A machine for writing information on and reading information from a relatively wide magnetic tape including a carousel for receiving a plurality of cartridges holding such tape with the cartridges being disposed with their axes parallel with the axis of rotation of the carousel, a plunger for latching onto a cartridge in the carousel and moving the cartridge out of the carousel into a tape unwinding position, motor mechanism for unwinding the tape in this position and moving it across a bed carrying a rotatable magneitc read/write disk substantially coextensive with the face of the bed on which the tape travels, a takeup spool for receiving the tape passing across the bed and including a swingable arm for causing the tape to start winding on the spool, and a relatively slowly moving mandrel and a pressure roll cooperating with the mandrel for subsequently moving the tape across the bed so that the disk may have a magnetic reading or writing action with respect to the tape.