Microdrive (hard disk)
| Storage medium Microdrive
|
|
 Microdrive from IBM with 1 GByte capacity |
|
| General | |
|---|---|
| Type | hard disk |
| capacity | 340 MB - 8 GB |
| size | 40 × 30 × 5 mm |
| use | Integrated devices |
| origin | |
| developer | IBM |
| successor | Memory card |
Microdrive is the name of a very small, 1 inch (2.5 cm) large hard disk , which was available in the form of CompactFlash II memory cards and was built into devices. Microdrive is a brand name of IBM, but is also used for corresponding devices from other manufacturers.
properties
CompactFlash microdrives are generally in the somewhat thicker CompactFlash II housing (5 mm) and therefore do not fit into devices that only have a thin CompactFlash I slot (3 mm).
Before using a storage medium with more than 2 GB of storage, you must check whether the device in which the card is to be used can address media with this capacity. Typically, the FAT32 file system is used for media larger than 2 GB. Older devices in particular (date of manufacture before 2003) can often only access media formatted with FAT16 and are therefore limited to 2 GB as an upper limit.
Microdrives can be operated in all positions; According to the specification, however, the 1 GB Microdrive is designed for a maximum of 140 operating hours / month (with a maximum of 20% search, write and read operations). Therefore, a microdrive cannot be used as a replacement for a conventional hard drive in a PC, since there are usually longer operating times and hard drive activities.
Technical specifications
The last Hitachi Microdrive 3K8 (8 GB) produced has the following technical data:
- Rotation speed: 3600 revolutions per minute
- Data rate: approx. 10 MB / s read and approx. 5 MB / s write
- Dimensions: 40 × 30 × 5 mm
- Weight: 13 g
history
With the advent of digital cameras in particular in the late 1990s, the demand for small memory modules increased rapidly. Since the commonly used flash memory was very expensive (in 2001 a CompactFlash card with 128 MB cost the equivalent of around 175 euros and with 512 MB around 1200 euros), IBM developed a miniature hard drive in the form of a CompactFlash II memory card as an inexpensive alternative .
As an integrated device, microdrives were built into MP3 players , PDAs , navigation systems or cell phones .
In the first generation, microdrives had capacities of 340 MB and 512 MB. Even the 340 MB version was used by NASA to provide the small computers in the spacesuits with sufficient data storage. NASA also used STS-98 and STS-102 microdrives to store photos during the shuttle missions .
Generations followed with capacities of 512 MB and 1 GB . In the meantime, Iomega also sold a 340 MB version as a reseller. Microdrives with a capacity of 2.2 and 4 GB were also sold under the name Magicstore.
After the hard drive division from IBM was sold to Hitachi , the (no longer entirely original) "Original Microdrive" with capacities of up to 8 GB was produced there. Also Seagate set forth Microdrive, with capacity of 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8 GB. The price advantage of Microdrives ended in 2006 when the price of flash memory fell sharply. Therefore, Microdrives are practically no longer available. In addition, flash memory consumes less energy, is shock-proof and significantly faster than microdrives.
Web links
- Product overview IBM Microdrive. (PDF; 202 kB) September 5, 2000, accessed on January 14, 2012 .
- Flash memory with IDE controller. May 19, 2009. Retrieved January 14, 2012 .
Individual evidence
- ^ IBM Microdrive Is Out of This World. Digital Photography Review, May 2, 2001, accessed January 14, 2012 .