DataSlide reinvents hard drive (with 64 parallel read-write heads)

[lookmomnobrains]

UK-based data storage start-up DataSlide has announced potentially revolutionary hard drive technology, and a Partnership Network agreement with Oracle for the Berkeley Data Base to be embedded into the device.

DataSlide's Hard Rectangular Drive (HRD) does not use read-write heads moving across the recording surface of a spinning hard disk drive (HDD). Instead an ultra-thin, 2-dimensional array of 64 read-write heads, operating in parallel, is positioned above an piezo-electric-driven oscillating rectangular recording surface, and delivers 160,000 random IOPS with a 500MB/sec transfer rate.

source

yes it is gone be really really expensive and the size will probably not be really big, but still 500MB/sec from a single drive

[AndrewZorn]

i hate to call repost

[Shakti]

Forget moving parts!

[003]

Cool! An actual sensible use for piezoelectricity! I wonder what the capacity and price will be like.

[Mechromancer]

Those specs defeat current SSDs today. In a year or two, I think SSDs may catch up to this performance and at a far better value than we buy them for today. Still, that's a hell of a lot performance for a first generation product. I welcome the idea of having more than one high speed permanent storage format to choose from in the future.

NEATO!

[metachronos]

The fusion IODrive is still probably a better deal, all things considered.

[[XC] gomeler]

Agreed, that is impressive for a 1st gen product. SATA6 be prepared to be maxed out upon implementation!

[One_Hertz]

This will never work in the long run. 64 heads is way too many for this to be reliable. You see lots normal drives with failed heads and those have like 2-8 of them most of the time.

[EniGmA1987]

the spec number are quite high, but it is still a mechanical device. What are the access times on this thing?

[ToTTenTranz]

Increasing the number of heads = increasing number of moving parts = less reliability, more noise.

It's like moving backwards.. just let the tech die.

[Shakti]

Yes, like a 100 year old steam train with 20 engines.

[Mechromancer]

GUYS! Take 2 minutes and read the ENTIRE article. The problems you all speak of are addressed (likely to your amazement). This isn't your typical "mechanical" hard drive. Every bit on the recording medium oscillates under the 64 read heads so there is no seek time, very little latency, and very little movement.

Being as there are no revolutionary parts or materials used, the price should ramp down pretty quickly when the world gets on board. Just like SSDs have in the last 18 months. I see this tech making more sense than SSDs for the next few years while flash technology continues to mature.

[spoof]

Agreed. The read heads are actually NOT moving, that data underneath them is moving. So, per head there is much smaller amout of data to read = higher speed (:

[NapalmV5]

the spec number are quite high, but it is still a mechanical device. What are the access times on this thing?

exactly.. the most important/crucial part they leave out.. wonder why

do they even mention access times at all ?

if this thing can do .01ms i crap myself

[oohms]

the spec number are quite high, but it is still a mechanical device. What are the access times on this thing?

160 000 IOPS and 500mb/sec sustained would have to point to some pretty good access times. Maybe not 0.0001ms like an SSD but it would be much less than a normal hdd.

[Manicdan]

access time may suck, but 64 parallel reading heads probably makes up for it. this is like the GPU vs CPU of hard drives

[One_Hertz]

Agreed. The read heads are actually NOT moving, that data underneath them is moving.

The difference being? What fails in HDDs frequently are the heads themselves. The tiny piece that reads analog magnetic signals from the surface.

[ColonelCain]

Fail. Is that thing using IDE?

[RejZoR]

I don't think it's fail. Especially not when SSD's cost so much for crappy 128GB and have all sorts of stupid problems with controllers. Every alternative is good.
If read/write is 500MB/s and the price is right, i wouldn't even mind access times that are the same as with standard HDD's.

[003]

Fail. Is that thing using IDE?

It could be SCSI.

[GrimReaperGuy]

It's SCSI.

Access times will be minimal.

Brilliant technology.

[XSAlliN]

It's about time... they reinvent the HDD, after 152 years of models based on that old technology (only faster and automatized):



Beyond IT products, they should change the automobiles as well. ^^ Cause in their case it's a necessity. The oil age will be over in less then 20 years and current cars will work only like this:

[fellix_bg]

..and if the heads matrix is gone faulty, you just peel it off and replace with a new one!