Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!think!snorkelwacker!mit-eddie!mit-amt!mjkobb
From: mjkobb@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU (Michael J Kobb)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Why aren't more hard disks like the Portable's?
Summary: More fuel for the leave it on debate...
Message-ID: <1715@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU>
Date: 28 Feb 90 04:08:50 GMT
Reply-To: mjkobb@media-lab.media.mit.edu (Michael J Kobb)
Organization: MIT Media Lab, Cambridge MA
Lines: 18

Greetings,

  I was just thinking (boy did that hurt) about that sentence in the Mac
manual that says something like "while the computer is designed to be left on
perpetually, the hard disk will eventually wear out."  So, how come more hard
disks aren't like the Portable's:  spin down after x minutes/hours of
inactivity.  I'm hardly a mechanical engineer, so I don't know what kind of
evil stresses are induced by spinup of a motor, but it would seem to make
sense to have the HD spin down after some time (which should be determined by
a function relating wear&tear of remaining on to wear&tear of spinup).  If I
leave for classes in the morning and I don't come back for six hours, wouldn't
it make sense for the IIx's HD to have spun down after about an hour?  Then,
just like my screen, when I nudge the mouse, it comes back to life.

  So, how come nobody does that?

Just musing,
--Mike