Hard drive

A hard drive, also known as a hard disk drive or HDD, is a fundamental part of modern computers. The hard drive is where all of your programs and files are stored, so if the drive is damaged for some reason, you will lose everything on your computer. A hard drive uses similar memory storage technology to cassette tapes and video tapes. Hard drives contain round, mirror-like platters that are covered with magnetic recording medium.

The platters inside a hard disk drive are usually made of glass or aluminum. It is the polished magnetic material on the surface that makes the platter appear shiny, like a mirror. A clean, polished surface is critical to the proper functioning of the hard drive — even the smallest speck of dust can cause irreparable damage.

When you turn your computer on, the platters immediately begin to spin. The platters in a desktop computer hard disk drive typically get up to about 7,200 rotations per minute (rpm), while the hard drives in laptop computers usually run at 5,400 rpm. You may be able to hear the steady hum of your hard drive when the fan is not running.

When your computer is on but you are not retrieving or writing anything to the memory, the platters in the hard disk drive are always spinning. The arm with the heads on it, however, only begins to move when you run a program or open, save, or delete a file. This arm can move back and forth across the surface of the platter as many as 50 times in a single second, causing it to appear as a blur if you ever have the opportunity to watch. Because everything in the hard disk drive moves so quickly, the head never actually touches the platters, instead skimming just barely above them, supported by a cushion of moving air that is generated by the platters’ spinning. A head inside your hard disk drive reads and writes data to the platters. This head is on an arm that is attached next to the platters, so that it can pivot back and forth over them. The average time required for the read/write heads to move and find data is called access time; it is measured in milliseconds (ms). Don't confuse 'access time' with 'transfer rate', the rate of transmission of data from the disk to the CPU (e.g. 15 megabytes per second).

The rapid motion of the platters and heads inside your hard disk drive make it susceptible to “head crash,” which is where the heads crash into the platters. Several different things can cause head crash. If dust gets into your hard drive and settles on the platters, it can actually cause the arm to bounce as the disk operates. The magnetic recording medium is extremely fragile, and is often ruined when the heads crash into the platters.

People who use laptops should also be very careful, as moving your laptop abruptlycan cause head crash. Anytime you move your laptop when it is on, you should pick it up and set it down very gently. If you do not, eventually your hard disk drive may quit working altogether.

Trends in computer storage are always changing. Now it looks as if traditional magnetic hard disk drives might eventually be replaced by SSDs or solid state drives. SSDs have many key advantages over magnetic storage including 1) no moving parts and 2) less power consumption. This makes them very good for laptops where battery life and overall durability can be big issues. If the technology continues to improve, we may even see them in desktop computers as well.

(based on: http://www.ehow.com)

2. Find English equivalents in the text:

Обов’язкова складова, пластини, магнітний носій запису, важливий, пилинка,непоправна шкода, обертатися, оберт, постійний гул, вентилятор, відшукувати інформацію, головки зчитування, проноситися над поверхнею, не торкаючись її, потік повітря, крутитись навколо осі назад і вперед, час доступу, швидкість передачі, вразливий, ударитися, осідати, підстрибувати, тендітний, різко, споживання енергії, зносостійкість.

3. Rewrite the false statements:

1. The platters inside a hard disk drive are usually made of plastic.

2. Nothing can cause damage to the proper functioning of the hard drive.

3. The platters don’t spin if you don’t retrieve or write any information.

4. The head usually bumps the platters.

5. The magnetic recording medium is not fragile.

6. HDD is a peripheral part of modern computers.

7. Moving your laptop carefully can cause head crash.

8. The arm with the heads on it begins to move only when you run a program.

9. “Head crash” occurs when platters crash into each other.

10. The platters are square-shaped.

4. Put questions to the sentences, making the type of a question specified in the brackets (consult Appendix 2):

The hard drive is where all of your programs and files are stored. (Where)
If the drive is damaged for some reason, you will lose everything on your computer. (When)
Hard drives contain round, mirror-like platters. (What)
A head inside your hard disk drive reads and writes data to the platters. (What)
The platters in a desktop computer hard disk drive typically get up to about 7,200 rotations per minute. (How many)
The arm with the heads on it can move back and forth across the surface of the platter. (How)
Because everything in the hard disk drive moves so quickly, the head never actually touches the platters. (Why)
People who use laptops should not move their laptop abruptly. (make a disjunctive question)
The magnetic recording medium is extremely fragile. (make an alternative question)
A hard drive uses similar memory storage technology to cassette tapes and video tapes. (make a general question)

5. Match the words to get word combinations and make your sentences with them:

1. to be covered with	a) 5,400 rpm
2. to be made of	b) a cushion of moving air
3. to run at	c) milliseconds
4. to write something to	d) “head crash”
5. to move back and forth across	e) magnetic recording medium
6. to skim just barely above	f) working
7. to be supported by	g) the memory
8. access time is measured in	h) the platters
9. to make the hard disk susceptible to	i) glass or aluminum
10. to quit	j) the surface

6. Read and translate the text:

Читайте також:

<== попередня сторінка	\|	наступна сторінка ==>
Sample test to module I	\|	Optical storage devices

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