I’ve grown up with the technological advancements; they still amaze / scare me.


http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/storage/storage_3330.html


This is an IBM 3330 disk setup from the 70s, we called it a pizza oven.

Each of those 8 drawers holds a removable platter assembly.

We would take the platter cover (on top in the pic) and put our lunch under it over the controller, the right most unit.

That’s how much heat it threw off.



Now each drawer holds a 200 MEG yes MEG drive, so that entire unit holds 1.6 gig.

Each drawer unit cost about 80K, note the controller was extra.

Average access time 30 milliseconds, data transfer rate 800k / second.


Now in my laptop

500 GIG drive (400 times the unit shown).

Average access times 4 to 6 milliseconds (6 times faster)

Data Transfer 3MEG/second or almost 4 times faster.

About 104 bucks at Tiger (I’m not gonna do the math), controller included.

Lets consider the electrical usage difference, the drive in may laptop probably uses 5 watts, 10 maybe tops. This thing threw off enough from one cabinets it kept our lunches warm.

OH and each of those removable platter assemblies weighed in at 11 pounds as I recall.

And they were considered extremely technology advanced for their time.



http://www.staff.ncl.ac.uk/roger.broughton/museum/DASD/200429.htm

You can look at this to see the platter assembly.

__________________
KLK, MCSE

1990 500SL

I was always taught to respect my elders.
I don't have to respect too many people anymore.