Maybe older hard drives, but this is no longer the case and hasn't been for years. New drives can run healthily for some 11 years max--under special conditions of course. I believe it was Google who released a paper some time ago stating that the average life of their spinning hard drives was 5 years. This is not of course the 11 years I stated, but you've gotta consider that Google's hard drives are constantly moving whereas one's personal computer's hard drives at times can spin down at operating system's will as well as falling asleep altogether. In short, if you buy a quality drive you can expect it to last quite a few years--I've only had 1 drive of about 20 die on me, and strangely enough, it was Western Digital's top performing drive, their Velociraptor drive series. I called Western digital and a brand new drive was delivered overnight--I was actually really impressed. <Smile>.
Joseph ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Chittenden" <dchitten...@gmail.com> To: <viphone@googlegroups.com> Sent: Saturday, June 21, 2014 3:42 AM Subject: Re: If Anyone Is Using Only iDevices and No Computer, How Are You Faring? Oh, and that is 60,000 cycles per sector. If I remember correctly, the magneto layer on the HD platter is between 10,000 and 20,000 read/write cycles per sector. However, the highspeed spinning actually slowly causes magnetic layer degradation. David Chittenden, MSc, MRCAA Email: dchitten...@gmail.com Mobile: +64 21 2288 288 Sent from my iPhone > On 21 Jun 2014, at 22:09, "RobH." <bobs...@googlemail.com> wrote: > > True, but deterioration rates should be less, and each transfer > effectively > refreshes the data to full strength. True, a glitch could also proliferate > at each re-write. A new copy is only as good as the old one. So taking a > new copy sooner to minimise the degradation of the old one. > > I don't even understand the physics behind what holds memory in modern ss > materials, so not sure how well its degradation process is understood and > calculated yet. > We are still looking for the ultimate in really permanent memory. > > Apple could really score big if they floated something like that. > Bio-memory > or atomic level storage.... I've not heard of the latest ideas for a > hwile now. > > > RobH. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Joseph FreeTech" <joseph.freet...@gmail.com> > To: <viphone@googlegroups.com> > Sent: Friday, June 20, 2014 11:47 PM > Subject: Re: If Anyone Is Using Only iDevices and No Computer, How Are You > Faring? > > > David, > > actually, your current hard drive has the same type of magnetic surface as > your previous floppies and is also susceptible to data rot, so you might > want to reconsider how you're storing such old data. > > A hard disk drive platter (or disk) is the circular disk on which magnetic > data is stored in a hard disk drive. > The rigid nature of the platters in a hard drive is what gives them their > name (as opposed to the flexible materials which are used to make floppy > disk). > Hard drives typically have several platters which are mounted on the same > spindle. A platter can store information on both sides, requiring two > heads > per platter. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "David Chittenden" <dchitten...@gmail.com> > To: <viphone@googlegroups.com> > Sent: Friday, June 20, 2014 2:47 PM > Subject: Re: If Anyone Is Using Only iDevices and No Computer, How Are You > Faring? > > > I started working with computers in 1983. Every time media upgrades, I > transfer all relevant files from the old media that is becoming obsolete, > to > the new media. At this point, all my old stuff is taking up part of a one > terabyte external HD. Much easier to haul around with me, and I know the > data will not degrade as the older magnetic surfaces do. > > My music, which is on CD is also on a 250 GB external HD, and will shortly > be transferred to a 256 GB USB stick with lightning port when I receive it > in a few months. > > David Chittenden, MSc, MRCAA > Email: dchitten...@gmail.com > Mobile: +64 21 2288 288 > Sent from my iPhone > >> On 21 Jun 2014, at 8:27, "RobH." <bobs...@googlemail.com> wrote: >> >> I'm glad you wrote this. The youngsters haven't got half a lifetimes >> accumulation of written work to manage. this is ever my issue with >> giving >> up a PC of any type when this argument arises. Great here and now >> consumer >> infotainment iGismo; but the more seniors brought an awful lot of >> material >> with us, often in plain text, which is no bigger than the sum of the >> characters and spaces to produce it. But it is our stuff, and we don't >> wanna part with it, or give it somebody else to look after, for an >> esculating fee no doubt, and so on. >> We've dragged it this far from a few floppies to boxes of floppies. We >> got >> it this far, so not giving up now. >> Great if that pen drive idea works, and we got routers that have the usb >> slot and support the concept. That's a lot of IFs for us all to benefit >> from >> it. >> >> RobH. >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Sherrie" <nanagoose4...@gmail.com> >> To: <viphone@googlegroups.com> >> Sent: Friday, June 20, 2014 4:38 PM >> Subject: Re: If Anyone Is Using Only iDevices and No Computer, How Are >> You >> Faring? >> >> >> i use my iPhone 5 extensively and got an iPad a year ago to share with my >> sighted husband. I am glad he uses it since I don't bother with it at >> all >> anymore as I can do anything on my phone that I could do on the iPad. I >> find >> the iPad very difficult to use as the screen layouts are so different and >> the large screen makes it harder to feel around for the items I want. I >> have used the iDevices with a BT keyboard for a few weeks at a time when >> away on vacation but was extremely glad to get back to my windows laptop. >> I >> use Excel a lot and have not mastered the Numbers app for this as yet. >> Also, >> doing the hundreds of emails I get daily is much quicker on the laptop. >> Surfing the Internet is so much quicker with IE or Firefox. . >> But the main thing I use the laptop for is copying and storing articles, >> recipes, information and such. When an email or webpage has information >> I >> might find useful in the future I copy the relevant info and quickly save >> it >> in my Dropbox folder. I have huge files of health articles, recipes, >> iDevice >> information, computer and Jaws info, and tons of other stuff. I have not >> figured out how to quickly (or slowly for that matter) copy items from >> the >> web or email on my IOS device and save them in my files for future >> reference. >> Another thing the Windows laptop can do is handle certain functions on >> Facebook that I can't do with the regular Facebook app.I also agree with >> the >> person who mentioned the ability to use USB memory sticks for the NLS >> readers and other backup purposes. I use my iPhone to listen to books >> during >> the day but find my NLS player easier for night listening. >> If you need a new computer you can get a budget laptop for less than an >> iPad >> and then you have the best of both worlds. >> just my biased opinion... >> Sherrie Gosling >> >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Teresa Cochran >> Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2014 9:37 PM >> To: viphone@googlegroups.com >> Subject: If Anyone Is Using Only iDevices and No Computer, How Are You >> Faring? >> >> Hi, all, >> >> I have a computer that needs a hard-drive replacement, at the very least, >> and possibly has a failed logic board. I'm seriously considering >> replacing >> it with an iPad. Price is only somewhat an issue, since there seems to be >> only about $100 US difference between a new model I would want and the >> iPad. >> Mainly, I don't want the hassle of replacing moving parts and getting >> dust >> and cat-hair and such snarled up in it. I'm also extremely comfortable >> with >> iOS and use my iPod 5th gen constantly. I intend to use the iPad with a >> keyboard. >> >> So has anyone else taken this sort of step? Am I out of my mind, or do >> you >> think this is doable? >> >> I am a casual user. I read books, browse the web, play videos and music >> and >> games, and occasionally write for informal publications. >> >> What do you guys think? >> >> Teresa >> >> Winging its way from my iPod >> >> -- >> The following information is important for all members of the viphone >> list. >> All new members to the this list are moderated by default. If you have >> any >> questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that >> a >> member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators >> directly rather than posting on the list itself. 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