Has disk technology peaked?

[Henry Spencer]

> >     I'm beginning to wonder if disk technology peaked in the late 1970s...
> 
> ... Not only is the Eagle more reliable,
> it's smaller, quieter, cooler, and burns less power.  I'll take one over a
> tank [large old-technology disk] any day.

Few days in utzoo's history were happier than the day when we disconnected
our (Ampex) tanks and switched to running on Eagles.  We've never regretted
it.  Even setting aside everyday operation, tank PMs were nail-biting events
at which all kinds of things could go wrong (e.g. head crashes), while an
Eagle PM appears to involve little more than filter cleaning and voltage
checking.  Compare maintenance-contract prices if you want an independent
verification of the reliability difference!
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry