Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!bwong
From: bwong@sundc.UUCP (Brian Wong)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Disk drives -- speed of?
Message-ID: <2759@sundc.UUCP>
Date: 19 Apr 88 15:05:10 GMT
References: <2746@sundc.UUCP> <76700012@uiucdcsp>
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Vienna, VA
Lines: 15

A while back I asked about disk speeds -- I've gotten a bunch of responses,
mostly in email.   Summarized, here they are:

1) some disks do run faster than 3600 rpm (notably the Fujitsu Eagle and
its successors).
2) the rate at which data can be recorded/read seems to be a limitation.
this surprises me, but then i don't know much about this technology.
3) the rate at which the data can be transmitted through the controller
also seems to be a limitation; again, this surprises me.

OK, here's the $64k question: why is it that a mechanical speed is being
bottled up by an electrical speed?  

Is this some sort of architectural feature of current disk controllers
and/or heads?