large disk platetrs?

From: Robert F. Schaefer <rschaefe_at_gcfn.org>
Date: Thu Feb 20 18:46:00 2003

----- Original Message -----
From: "George R. Gonzalez" <grg2_at_attbi.com>
To: <cctalk_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2003 1:48 PM
Subject: large disk platetrs?


> The original IBM RAMAC disk platters were several feet across:
> "The 350 Disk File consisted of a stack of fifty 24" discs that can be
seen
> to the left of the operator in the above picture. The capacity of the
entire
> disk file was 5 million 7-bit characters, which works out to about 4.4 MB
in
> modern parlance. This is about the same capacity as the first personal
> computer hard drives that appeared in the early 1980's, but was an
enormous
> capacity for 1956. IBM leased the 350 Disk File for a $35,000 annual fee."
>
> The Control Data 808 disk drive also used platters that were at least thet
> large.

Wow. With something that big, I bet you could see the bits on the media!

Bob
Received on Thu Feb 20 2003 - 18:46:00 GMT