Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!batcomputer!munnari.oz.au!comp.vuw.ac.nz!actrix!Bruce.Hoult From: Bruce.Hoult@bbs.actrix.gen.nz Newsgroups: comp.arch Subject: Re: CD-ROM documents (was Paperless Office) Message-ID: <1990Dec5.105743.25693@actrix.gen.nz> Date: 5 Dec 90 10:57:43 GMT References: <1990Dec4.224107.6589@d.cs.okstate.edu> Sender: Bruce.Hoult@actrix.gen.nz (Bruce Hoult) Organization: Actrix Information Exchange, Wellington, New Zealand Lines: 17 Comment-To: norman@d.cs.okstate.edu In article <1990Dec4.224107.6589@d.cs.okstate.edu> norman@d.cs.okstate.edu (Norman Graham) writes: > this scheme, the disk must spin with a constant tangential velocity at > the point of the read head. > > What all this means is that when seeking the drive must move the read > head to the proper location _and_ change the rotation speed. Not necessarily so. There's no reason that a drive with a fast seek movement but slow rotational speed adjustment (or constant speed) couldn't just read at odd speeds and buffer the data. Anyone remember those paper-tape readers on some early 8 bit micros where the user pulled the tape through by hand? -- Bruce.Hoult@bbs.actrix.gen.nz Twisted pair: +64 4 772 116 BIX: brucehoult Last Resort: PO Box 4145 Wellington, NZ Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com