Ordinary cheap computer hard drives do not work reliably above 10,000ft in altitude, because they require a cushion of dense air for the magnetic head to float on. Without that air density, the head will scratch the disk. People who live above 10,000ft must buy special hard drives.

Interesting hard drive facts you probably didn’t know

Everybody has one, but nobody gives it much thought – the hard disk drive. It’s just another device, another component on their computer system. But those who care, here are some facts to ponder upon.

The hard drive head never touches the disk platter

You probably know this. The hard drive head never touches the disk platter it’s reading or writing data from. The reason why the hard drive head do not make contact with the media is due to the excessively high speed the disk platter spins and the need for the heads to frequently scan from side to side to different tracks. If the head is allowed to make contact with the disk it would result in unacceptable wear to both the delicate heads and the media. If the head were to touch the spi… Continue Reading (4 minute read)