What 5mb - and airplanes looked like 50 years ago

[G-BOY]

Whilst researching for a new XSM I came accross this image of a hard drive being loaded on to a PAA flight around 50 years ago: http://www.popular-pics.com/PPImages/hard-disk-1956.jpg

The interesing thing is - that the storage capacity of this hard drive is 5mb! You can send emails smaller than that!

[rossym]

wow.... that big piece of metal is 5mb!! haha! interesting though :)

just think... this hard drive is 500GB! http://www.sharkyextreme.com/img/2006/05/seagate_500gb/drive.jpg

[amanoffewwords]

500GB is sooo yesterday :), here's a 1TB version:
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/ciu/ee/e0/89fa36c622a00a0360c72110.L.jpg
Hitachi, £299 in case you're wondering...
:eek:

[Mac the Knife]

That looks like the RAMAC disk drive unit from IBM 305 RAMAC Computer, introduced in 1956

"IBM introduced the 305 RAMAC computer on September 13th, 1956, which was the first computer to include a disk drive named the IBM 350 Disk File. Prior to this magnetic computer storage had consisted of core memory, tape, and drums. The magnetic disk was seen as a replacement for the magnetic drum for the same reason 78 RPM Records eventually replaced Edison cylinders- more storage with less space.

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."

Mac

[hobie]

Every home should have one ...... :)


http://www.cedmagic.com/history/ibm-305-ramac.jpg
http://www.cedmagic.com/history/ibm-305-ramac.jpg