Quantcast
PCWorld.com is upgrading some back-end systems. Some site features, such as user registration, may be temporarily unavailable.
Subscribe to magazine

PC Drive Reaches 500GB

Drive capacity soars to a new high as makers begin to turn to a new recording technology.

Eric Dahl

  • 0 Yes
  • 0 No

How It Works: New Drive Technology

Hard drive makers, facing looming capacity limits with conventional, longitudinal recording technology, are turning to perpendicular recording to provide even greater storage.

Conventional (Longitudinal) Recording

Each bit of information is represented by a collection of magnetized particles, with their north and south poles oriented in one direction or the other. In longitudinal recording, the particles' north and south poles are lined up parallel to the disk's surface in a ring around its center. Magnetic repulsion limits how closely packed those bits can be and still maintain data integrity.

Perpendicular Recording

In this type of recording, the poles are arranged perpendicular to the disk's surface, which allows more bits to be packed onto a disk and reduces problems from magnetic interference.

  • Recommend this story?
  • 0 Yes
    0 No
 

Featured APC Accessories

  • APC Back-UPS ES Safeguards your equipment from damaging surges and spikes that travel along your utility & data lines.
  • APC SurgeArrest Performance Highest level of protection for your professional computers, electronics and connected devices, as well as provides surge protection.

People who read this also read:

  • 15 Minutes to a Secure Business Get the Secure in 15 toolkit starting with the "15 Minutes Month-at-a-Glance" calendar. McAfee will send you additional tools and tricks to stay protected around the clock.
  • A Buyer's Guide to Data Protection Implementing data protection products and processes can be daunting. Make the right decisions by exploring what is available and what makes sense for your organization. Use this simple guide to evaluate different vendor offerings.

Sponsored Links