The Logic Off Topic list

At 10:52 PM -0700 7/2/01, Marvin Humphrey wrote:
>Dennis Gunn:
>
>>  do you think a disengaged hard drive on a shelf would be more or less stable
>>  than DVDs or CDRs or for that matter tape as a storage medium?
>
>I'm going optical.
>
>>  As long as the bearings can last OK on the shelf it seems like a 
>>HD might more
>>  stable than a reel of tape.  It would mainly be a matter of how 
>>long the bits
>>  could keep their magnetic alignment I wouldn't it?
>
>I am not an expert on the chemical composition of binder that holds the
>oxide particles to the hard drive platters.  I imagine that is a critical
>issue, as it is with tape.

I don't know either but I think there are two important differences 
worth considering.  1. The drive platters are designed to withstand 
pretty hostile temperatures and are in a sealed container the 
atmosphere of which would probably be easier to keep neutral whereas 
the tapes are not.   2.  The heads of the drives do not actually 
contact the medium the way the heads of a tape machine do so even if 
the binding medium does get a little weak it probably is not as big 
of an issue as with tape since there is nothing trying to rub it off.


>However, as information density goes up,
>longevity goes down, which makes me doubt the long term viability of the HD
>format even if you could remove bearings from the equation.

Definitely true but because a big project will not fit on a CD people 
will eventually start using DVDs to archive instead of CDRs and the 
same dynamic will apply.

I use optical medium for storage as well and will probably continue 
to.   I don't know what is best.   Or what will be.   I have seen CDs 
fail and start leaking ink though.  I have also had DAT tapes go bad. 
And cassettes.  And reals..... The whole issue makes me nervous.

I hope somebody comes up with an answer sometime.  Holograms etched in gold?


-- 


                                 Dennis Gunn
                                 Mightyjohn@...

                  check out  MIGHTY JOHN HENRY's album "hot air head"
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