Hard Drive Crusher
Dec 16, 2023 11:13:44 #
jerryc41 wrote:
Remember the IBM XT? It was available with a 10MB hard drive. I bought one without a HDD, and I added a 20MB HDD. Back then, programs were very small.
They were!
Back then 20MB was gargantuan!
Dec 16, 2023 12:40:31 #
jerryc41 wrote:
Yep! Not wanting to PAY for the IBM Cadillac, I bought a knock-off called a Corona.Remember the IBM XT? It was available with a 10MB hard drive.
No - not Smith Corona. You could have a green or orange screen, and one or 2 floppies (180KB)
Later updates enabled installment of an HDD needing a controller card - hence my 'brobdignanigan' 80MB disk.
Also added an Intel 80286 math coprocessor. MAN! Could THAT THING Play "Pong"
Dec 16, 2023 12:43:22 #
xt2 wrote:
Now THAT is scary!Great idea to “cipher” the old drives before destruction. With advancements in tech, law enforcement has been successful in recovering data from even drives shot through with bullets and hammer smashed. Such drives do not need to be operable to allow the retrieval of data. Merry Christmas!!!
I guess the only way to securely dispose of old HDDs is in the same way they got rid of Jimmy Hoffa
Who, AFAIK, has Never been found.
Dec 16, 2023 12:48:18 #
Dikdik
Loc: Winnipeg, Canada
My first purchased computer was an AST 286... and I opted for the 40MB HDD... (the big one)... different times. My programmer buddy gave me his old 80MB HDD... double height... just a collectable, not useful anymore, and at the time he purchased it, the cost was over $5000. for it. I kept it for decades as a memento... and got rid of it about 20 years back.
Dec 16, 2023 12:56:58 #
jerryc41 wrote:
Remember the IBM XT? It was available with a 10MB hard drive. I bought one without a HDD, and I added a 20MB HDD. Back then, programs were very small.
I do remember those days. We started out with 5MB HDDs and I believe they cost about $4,000 each.
We ran a whole company with a bank of 8x300MB HDDs in washing machine sized housings and a very larger air conditioning system!
bwa
Dec 16, 2023 13:02:47 #
bwana wrote:
I do remember those days. We started out with 5MB HDDs and I believe they cost about $4,000 each.
We ran a whole company with a bank of 8x300MB HDDs in washing machine sized housings and a very larger air conditioning system!
bwa
We ran a whole company with a bank of 8x300MB HDDs in washing machine sized housings and a very larger air conditioning system!
bwa
Yea, track and bit spacing was a bit larger then......
Dec 16, 2023 13:07:20 #
Longshadow wrote:
Yea, track and bit spacing was a bit larger then......
It was even larger on a 16KB, 4' diameter, drum memory device I worked on at university... If I recall the read/write head was about 2-3" wide.
bwa
Dec 16, 2023 13:14:09 #
xt2 wrote:
Great idea to “cipher” the old drives before destruction. With advancements in tech, law enforcement has been successful in recovering data from even drives shot through with bullets and hammer smashed. Such drives do not need to be operable to allow the retrieval of data. Merry Christmas!!!
In that case, it's better to hold onto them or completely disassemble them and destroy the platters.
Dec 17, 2023 22:05:47 #
When not crushing disk drives it could be used to crack Brazil nuts.
Dec 18, 2023 07:44:23 #
hannaco wrote:
When not crushing disk drives it could be used to crack Brazil nuts.
Dec 18, 2023 08:10:40 #
hannaco wrote:
When not crushing disk drives it could be used to crack Brazil nuts.
Ah! Dual purpose!
Dec 20, 2023 13:38:51 #
Dec 21, 2023 07:38:10 #
Blinky114 wrote:
I dismantle the drives and use them for art projects.
I had the same idea.
Dec 22, 2023 14:28:59 #
Blinky114 wrote:
I got this one as a gift several Christmases ago I dismantle the drives and use them for art projects.
Dec 23, 2023 08:01:12 #
Merlin1300 wrote:
I got this one as a gift several Christmases ago
Now there's a good use for an old platter. I like to add numbers, though. I've been thinking about converting a ukulele to a computer uke - with miscellaneous parts glued on top.
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