Replace magnetic with opticals

  • Thread starter Thread starter Radium
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Radium

Hi:

Why do hard disc drives use magnetic discs? Why not replace the
magnetic platters with optical ones that use 400 nm lasers to write,
read, erase, and re-write data?

Optical platters using 400 nm lasers would surely have advantages over
magnetic platters. More data per area, and less vulnerability to
environmental magnetic disruptions -- to name a few.

I say dump all magnetic discs and replace them with the optical
equivalent. Use 400 nm laser because 400 nm is the sweet spot between
shortest wavelength and non-ionizing radiation. Shorter wavelengths
require less size to write/read data. Too short and you increase your
risk of cancer. So use 400 nm and dump those useless magnetic discs.

Red lasers -- used by CDs -- are horrible because they require so much
space on the disk to write data. Green lasers -- used by DVDs -- are a
tad better. Blu-ray -- at 405 nm -- is almost at the best wavelength
but not quite!


Regards,

Radium
 
Radium said:
Hi:

Why do hard disc drives use magnetic discs? Why not replace the
magnetic platters with optical ones that use 400 nm lasers to write,
read, erase, and re-write data?

Optical platters using 400 nm lasers would surely have advantages over
magnetic platters. More data per area, and less vulnerability to
environmental magnetic disruptions -- to name a few.

I say dump all magnetic discs and replace them with the optical
equivalent. Use 400 nm laser because 400 nm is the sweet spot between
shortest wavelength and non-ionizing radiation. Shorter wavelengths
require less size to write/read data. Too short and you increase your
risk of cancer. So use 400 nm and dump those useless magnetic discs.

Red lasers -- used by CDs -- are horrible because they require so much
space on the disk to write data. Green lasers -- used by DVDs -- are a
tad better. Blu-ray -- at 405 nm -- is almost at the best wavelength
but not quite!


Regards,

Radium
Click to expand...

I dont know much technical detail about the subject but the little I have
picked up would suggest that the read/write speed, reliability and longevity
of optical methods are nowhere near the current performance levels of HDD
technology.

YMMV

Ian I^)
 
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