Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
How to Build a Computer 26: Spindles and Platters and So Forth
We’ve discussed what it means to actually store information on a hard disk drive, how you magnetize it and how you pull that information off. Neat stuff, but a bit heavy on the abstract physics. Today we’re going to zoom out a bit and look at the mechanical bits of how hard drives work. Here, let me start you off with a picture. Take a look at these two hard drives (conveniently cracked open for viewing purposes), one I borrowed from the boss man, and the other I picked up off the “Free Stuff” shelf when they moved the engineering department. Tell me which you think stores more data:
None of the above. Neither of is ever going to run again. Look at that dust!