• On TV.com: TOP 10 Shows CANCELED Too Soon

The hard drive, 50 years ago Video

To play this video, you need Javascript enabled and the latest version of Flash installed. Install Flash now
The hard drive, 50 years ago
Created: 09/08/2006
Video description: In 1952, IBM opened a research lab in San Jose under Rey Johnson, and one of its first assignments was to come up with a magnetic storage system that could hold 5MB of data, then a whopping amount. Johnson's group used platters coated with magnetic material stacked on top of each other. Data would be fetched by a head that traveled up and down the stack of rotating platters.

Related Videos

See where the Internet lives

Equinix is responsible for holding massive amounts of data, including storage for popular sites like MySpace.com. Take a tour of the facilities, and see how much energy it takes to keep the Web alive. CNET News.com's Neha Tiwari reports.

Get gigs to spare with a new hard drive - Getting started

If your data-storage needs are growing at an exponential rate but your main hard drive can not quite keep up, it is a good time to invest in a new one--the bigger, the better.

Apple's 24-7 retail store

Ron Johnson, senior vice president of retail for Apple, takes a look at the company's newest retail store, located on N.Y.'s Fifth Avenue. A 32-foot glass cube entrance leads down to the underground store, the first Apple shop that will be open 24 hours, seven days a week.

Get gigs to spare with a new hard drive - Assess your PC

If your data-storage needs are growing at an exponential rate but your main hard drive can't quite keep up, it's a good time to invest in a new one--the bigger, the better.

Get gigs to spare with a new hard drive - Check the specs

If your data-storage needs are growing at an exponential rate but your main hard drive can't quite keep up, it's a good time to invest in a new one--the bigger, the better.

Get gigs to spare with a new hard drive - Power up

If your data-storage needs are growing at an exponential rate but your main hard drive can't quite keep up, it's a good time to invest in a new one--the bigger, the better.

Get gigs to spare with a new hard drive - Select an interface

If your data-storage needs are growing at an exponential rate but your main hard drive can't quite keep up, it's a good time to invest in a new one--the bigger, the better.

Completely wipe a hard drive

Use Darik's Boot and Nuke to completely wipe a hard disk of all data.

Fish on the grill without sticking

Steve Johnson, chef-owner of The Blue Room in Cambridge, Massachusetts, advises that a clean grill is the first step to grilling fish without having it stick. Brush on a little oil and start grilling with the skin side down. The skin adds an extra layer of protection, and it can be peeled off later if you're not interested in eating it. For more grilling tips and some recipes from Steve, check out Fine Cooking's issues June/July 1999 (#33) and June/July 2001 (#45).

Nothing's too hot for NASA

Scientists at the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif., are testing high-tech materials they hope will hold up to temperatures three times hotter than the surface of the sun.