Magnetic storage technology-the 1990s-evolution or revolution?

Summary form only given. The rate of progress in disk drive technology, as measured by the increase in areal density, has been advancing at somewhat better than a 60-percent compound growth rate (CGR), starting with this decade, in comparison with the historic CGR of nearly 32 percent over the previous 40 years. If we look at the CGR of areal density over relatively shorter time periods, we find that in the 1950s and early 1960s, a CGR of as high as 90 percent was reached. This CGR is not surprising for the introductory phase of a technology being exploited for data storage for the first time. Based on the extrapolation of the historic rate, we would have anticipated products with densities of 1 to 2 gigabits per square inch shipping in 1998. However, if the current 60-percent growth rate is sustained, we should see the availability of drives in the 10-gigabits-per-square-inch range by the year 2000. This dramatic difference in projected storage densities carries profound implications on the use of storage devices, the applications that will be developed, and the form that the devices take. This tutorial covers the current status of magnetic storage technology and future trends, highlighting the as yet untapped potential for further advances