Disasters and Recovery

From: Jason Willgruber <roblwill_at_usaor.net>
Date: Mon Jan 18 00:44:35 1999

But, when you consider things, most people wouldn't have seen what we
consider a "hard drive" for probably 40-50 years, if not more. By that
time, computers will probably be the size of, if not smaller than a 1999
hard drive. The computer in the time capsule will probably seem like the
ENIAC does to those who are accustomed to today's compact desktops and
laptops.

I just thought of something else: Is a modern, voice-coil-driven (heads)
hard drive even alignable? The old drives with the stepper were, but they
usually operated on the principle of a floppy drive (in the way the heads
moved, at least). In a modern drive, if the heads would somehow "un-align",
all you would normally have done is get the data rescued, reformat the
drive, and put everything back on, or, what *most* (not necessarily people
on this list) people would do, is just get the data rescued (if their job,
or life, depended on what was on the drive), trash the mis-aligned drive,
buy a new one, and re-install everything.

--
                 -Jason Willgruber
               (roblwill_at_usaor.net)
                  ICQ#: 1730318
<http://members.tripod.com/general_1>
-----Original Message-----
From: Sam Ismail <dastar_at_ncal.verio.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu>
Date: Sunday, January 17, 1999 7:34 PM
Subject: Re: Disasters and Recovery
>
>We're talking 100 years here.  Computers didn't even exist in 1899, and
>now you can wear one on a ring.  I think aligning a 1999 hard drive, a
>physical item that is still very visible by the naked eye, will be among
>the more mundane tasks in 2099.
>
>Of course, the point is pretty much moot anyway.
>
>Sellam                                    Alternate e-mail:
dastar_at_siconic.com
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---
>Always being hassled by the man.
>
>                  Coming in 1999: Vintage Computer Festival 3.0
>                   See http://www.vintage.org/vcf for details!
>                        [Last web site update: 01/15/99]
>
>

Received on Mon Jan 18 1999 - 00:44:35 GMT