We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Technology

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What are Perpendicular Drives?

By R. Kayne
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 5,793
Share

Perpendicular drives are hard disk storage devices that store data bits vertically rather than “flat” or horizontally. Vertical storage allows for a ten-fold increase in data capacity while preserving data integrity.

Traditional hard disks store data bits horizontally on the surface of a platter. To increase drive capacity, bits have been reduced in size to fit more data. However, when bit density becomes too great, the magnetic particles begin to interfere with one another, causing bits to “flip” or reverse orientation. This is referred to as the super para-magnetic effect and results in corrupt or lost data.

To overcome this density barrier, perpendicular drives use slightly thicker platters designed to store “embedded” data bits vertically. A head floats over the platter, creating a magnetic field that orients the data bits to an “up” or “down” orientation.

For a rough comparison, imagine a bookshelf with a single layer of books laid flat, end-to-end across the shelf. This represents the way traditional platters hold data bits. Now stand the books vertically and press them to one side, and you can fit many more books on the same size shelf. This is the basic principle behind perpendicular drives.

Because perpendicular drives can hold so much more data per platter, they are well suited for mobile devices like laptops and portable audio players. As an example, Hitachi points out that a 6-gigabyte micro drive used in MP3 players holds about 3,000 songs. Using perpendicular technology, the drive could hold 30,000 songs. Industry insiders claim the price of drives will continue to fall despite the new technology. Perpendicular drives should be less per gigabyte than the same size standard drive, as material cost is reduced when more data fits on fewer platters.

Toshiba was the first manufacturer to market perpendicular drives in August 2005. Hitachi followed, while Seagate, Fujitsu and other manufacturers are also releasing perpendicular drives. Initial product is aimed at laptops and electronic devices, but general use perpendicular drives will soon follow. Hitachi reportedly plans to release 1-terabyte perpendicular drives in 2007. A terabyte is equal to 1,000 gigabytes.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-are-perpendicular-drives.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.