New hard drive technology!

massive · Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 3:47 pm Post subject: New hard drive technology!

Until recently (when SSD came out), affordable mass storage (i.e. Hard Disk) was basically a stack of platters spinning fast with a stack of heads moving in towards the center of the 'cylinder' and out towards the edge again. The basic concept dates back to the phonograph, spinning media (vinyl (or wax originally) record if you will) data being read by a head (or needle).

Well now comes new thinking in mass storage: arrays of heads - check it out:

http://www.dataslide.com/technology.html
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Vlad Piranha wrote:

I'm offended that a zombie holocaust isn't on the list. It would be terrifying, sure, but it would be pretty sweet if you think about it.

Wang Chung · Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 7:11 pm Post subject:

Ugh they had to shrink the picture just enough to make the text hard to read:

http://www.dataslide.com/images/tech_graph.jpg

Sounds good but is it more affordable than SSD? I don't really understand how this will even work. How much motion do the platters have to endure? I see that there are 64 heads but it seems like to reach certain sections, the platter will have to move more.

Can I store data so it has to move between all four corners? haha.
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is now -=|CT|=- Frothy Mixture

Vlad Piranha · Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 10:40 pm Post subject:

It's exciting to see advances in new technology rather than improvements over the old stuff. It's kind of like how cars used to be beefed up with larger engines with more cylinders and carburetors. Enter computer chips and its a whole new ballgame. I guess the bottom line is that computers kick ass.

massive · Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 2:43 pm Post subject:

Wang Chung wrote:

Can I store data so it has to move between all four corners? haha.

no, it just moves back and forth. There are an array of heads:

Quote:

2-dimensional array of 64 read-write heads

so 8 heads by 8 heads and the media just slides back and forth by them.

Not commercially available by a long shot yet, and will be quite expensive I imagine until mass produced and widely accepted

Vlad Piranha wrote:

It's exciting to see advances in new technology rather than improvements over the old stuff.

Ya it is. giggity giggity giggity
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Vlad Piranha wrote:

I'm offended that a zombie holocaust isn't on the list. It would be terrifying, sure, but it would be pretty sweet if you think about it.

Last edited by massive on Tue Jun 23, 2009 12:50 pm; edited 1 time in total

Vlad Piranha · Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 9:54 am Post subject:

I do wonder what the fate of solid state drives will be. They sound badass for people like me, but I can't justify the cost.