More Heads?

[Guest]

Question: Why not add more heads to the typical PC hard drive? Not top and bottom or multi-platter, but additional servos with heads. Set the heads 180 degrees apart for 2, or 120 degrees for 3. Wouldn't this allow faster seek and access times, and faster transfer rates?

Yes, I know it would cost more.
Yes, I know it would consume more power.
Yes, I know it would complicate the drive's operation.
Yes, I know it would make the package larger, although maybe a three head/servo with 3.5" format platter could fit in a 5" package.

Is my logic faulty?

 

[camieabz]

+ heat
+ noise
+ more bits to fail
+ less value for money

I think just upping the rpms would help a bit. Say to 9000+. Again more heat, but SCSI can handle it. Eventually capacities will demand it. At the moment you can get 20-120GB (affordably) @7200rpms. Those larger drives need to have more spins happening!

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[kief]

Between you and cami its about covered. The negatives outweigh the positive benefit using currect technology. Also as for the price aspect, remember IDE is MEANT to be CHEAP! Otherwise we would all be using SCSI =)

Jesus saves, but Mario scores!!!

 

[camieabz]

So I guess we wait for serial ATA, and either it or SCSI will be cheap.

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[kief]

We can hope. I am luckily running SCSI after I bought a server from a local biz that went under. The machine would not boot up so they sold it for 200$ after thier IT guys were gone already. Turned out a bad power supply. Sold the case/board/chips for more then I payed for it and kept a SWEET SCSI RAID card and some drives along with lots of ram =)

Jesus saves, but Mario scores!!!

 

[Guest]

Scsi vs IDE? Thats not the point.

While processors are routinely busting 2GHz, where is the hard drive's access time? Yes, there's been excellent improvements in capacity, cost per bit, and reliability. But is there anything rivaling the jumps in processor speed? When processors run at 3Ghz, will disk acess times still be in the mid millisecond range? Ever heard the phrase "Hurry up and wait"? What's on the horizon to improve this? (Maybe all this isn't necessary, as RAM size gets bigger?!)

Yes, you can crank the RPM's to improve speeds, but at a cost of more noise and decrease in reliability. But adding a second or third head would be faster yet.

Would a CAD user or serious gamer pay a premium price for a reliable drive with 2 or 3 millisecond access time and double or more data rate? I think so.

 

[kief]

You are right, the question wasnt IDE vs SCSI, but I still must point out that any self respecting CAD user IS using SCSI **AND** SCSI drives do have 3 ms seeks on the higher end drives. The main advantage of IDE is price, so making it cost more then SCSI would not be any good and would defeat the purpose of IDE. My computer for example is usually waiting on me, the hard disks are very fast already.

Jesus saves, but Mario scores!!!