But why was IBM’s barcode was superior to RCA? The article just skips over why there was any debate in the first place, other than RCA wanting it because they already had it
Firstly, RCA offered half the information density in the same physical space, assuming line width being equal between the two due to the data being in the radius of the circle, meaning the rest was redundant.
And secondly, paralel lines ware most likely easier to accurately print quickly by cheap printers of the time than concentric circles.
Like this one: https://www.flickr.com/photos/42444189@N04/18522348892
I barely remembered it it's been so long since I worked a checkout one summer.