The First Terabyte Hard Drive Reviewed

mikemuch writes "ExtremeTech has a review and benchmarks of the Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000 1TB Hard Drive, which ushers in the terabyte age. It performs well on HDTach and PCMark benchmarks, though not as speedily as professional-grade drives. It could be just the ticket for digital media junkies. 'One of the first issues to note is that you may not see an actual one terabyte capacity on your system. First, the formatted capacity is always less than the raw space available on the drive. Directory information and formatting data always take up some space. Second, the hard drive industry's definition of a megabyte differs from the rest of the PC business. One megabyte of hard drive space is 1,000,000 bytes: 10^6 bytes. Operating systems calculate one megabyte as 2^20 bytes, or 1,048,576 bytes. Once installed and set up, Hitachi's 1TB hard drive offers up an actual formatted capacity of about 935GB, as measured by the OS. That's still a lot of space, by anyone's definition.'" Update: 05/17 21:52 GMT by Z : Adding '^s' missing from article.

Now I need faster broadband

[Anonymous Coward]

So that I can fill this new drive with pr0n ;)

New New Math?

[WrongSizeGlass]

One megabyte of hard drive space is 1,000,000 bytes: 106 bytes. Operating systems calculate one megabyte as 220 bytes, or 1,048,576 bytes.

That was from TFA (not just the summary). I asked my calculator about that but it just got a headache.

Re:Zonk

[guspasho]

Exactly.

"One megabyte of hard drive space is 1,000,000 bytes: 106 bytes. Operating systems calculate one megabyte as 220 bytes, or 1,048,576 bytes"

What the hell does that even mean? 106 bytes? 220 bytes?

Reality

[geekoid]

when mounted, we want to to say 1 terrabyte, not meh, nearly one terrabyte. The OS is the measureing stick, use it.

I sure as hell don't want it to say 106 bytes.

Re:Zonk

[OrangeTide]

It's not a race Zonk, you can hit the preview button once in a while.

From this day forward all badly formed posts shall be known as Zonks.

Re:Damn...

[geekoid]

WHen I was 9 or ten, I sat quietly waiting for the home computer to be invented.
I may have thrown rocks at my neighbor from time to time.

Sloppy editing.

[Gricey]

Come on, look what you're pasting. What you thought was a story about ponies could be the next AACS encryption key!

Wow, I love ponies.

Re:Why is this still a discussion?

[jdgeorge]

Don't complain about the fact a megabyte isn't what you thought it was. Complain about the fact the industry still uses it for labels. But don't try and make the megabyte a mebibyte.

What!?! Next thing you'll be telling me is that a kilometer isn't 1024 meters long. Please, stop this madness before it spreads!

Re:Now I need faster broadband

[lord_sarpedon]

No, it just means you'll get to consolidate what you already have ;)

"...by anyones definition"

[Itninja]

hmm. I guess you could say that "935GB ought to be enough for anybody".

Note to future self: remember when 1 terabyte was considered a lot of storage? those were the days....

Re:Ahh Slashdot

[croddy]

eh, you're not missing anything anyway. TFA is just one of those meager gear review sites with 20 words per page spread out onto 8 pages all mostly covered with a bunch of empty rectangles.

what is the DEAL with all those empty rectangles anyway?

I look forward to more write-ups like this

[Anonymous Coward]

Perhaps the next story on Bill Gates or windows might consist mostly of a paragraph explaining that Microsoft is a company.

Re:New New Math?

[Jherek Carnelian]

One megabyte of hard drive space is 1,000,000 bytes: 106 bytes. Operating systems calculate one megabyte as 220 bytes, or 1,048,576 bytes.

That was from TFA (not just the summary). I asked my calculator about that but it just got a headache.

This is GREAT!

Finally a controversy about measuring disk space where someone claims that a megabyte is neither a power of two nor a power of ten. 220 bytes, who would have guessed?

Windoze

[ksd1337]

Finally! Enough space to install Windoze Vista SuperUltimate Edition with SuperBloat64 and added memory mismanagement!

Update

[geekoid]

"Update: 05/17 21:52 GMT by Z : Adding '^s' missing from article."

WTF? now we can't pretend it wasn't a mistake and make fun of the 'stupid' submitter. Curse you!

AACS Compromises

[MrSteveSD]

Hitachi probably say all the recent AACS compromises and thought "Well, people are obviously going to need more hard drive space now". Hitachi have their finger on the pulse :)

Re:Zonk

[elguap0]

He totally Schruted that summary.

New drive storage metrics needed

[PeeAitchPee]

In other news, Seagate announced that its upcoming line of hard drives will be measured using the new LoC (Library of Congress) storage units to avoid confusion. The advanced ST-54883432, weighing in at a monstrous .00000000000017 LoC, goes on sale June 14th.

Re:SUP tag missing - 10^6 and 2^20

[trentblase]

Not much, <sup> with you?

Re:Deathstar

[Anonymous Coward]

* But there must've been a Death Star canteen, yeah? There must've been a cafeteria downstairs, in between battles, where Darth Vader could just chill and go down:

Darth Vader: I will have the penne all'arrabiata.
Canteen Worker: You'll need a tray.
Darth Vader: Do you know who I am?
Canteen Worker: Do you know who I am?
Darth Vader: This is not a game of who the fuck are you. For I am Vader, Darth Vader, Lord Vader. I can kill you with a single thought.
Canteen Worker: Well, you'll still need a tray.
Darth Vader: No, I will not need a tray. I do not need a tray to kill you. I can kill you without a tray, with the power of the Force, which is strong within me. Even though I could kill you with a tray if I so wished. For I would hack at your neck with the thin bit until the blood flowed across the canteen floor.
Canteen Worker: No, the food is hot. You'll need a tray to put the food on.
Darth Vader: Oh, I see the food is hot. I'm sorry. I did not realise. Ha ha ha ha ... oh ... tray for the ... yes. I thought you were challenging me for the fight to the death.
Canteen Worker: A fight to the death? This a canteen, I work here.
Darth Vader: Yes, but I am Vader. I am Lord Vader? Everyone challenges me to a fight to the death. Lord Vader? Darth Vader, I'm Darth Vader. Sir Lord Vader? Sir Lord Darth Vader? Lord Darth Sir Lord, Lord Vader of Cheem? Sir Lord Baron Von Vader Ham? The Death Star. I run the Death Star.
Canteen Worker: What's the Death Star?
Darth Vader: This is the Death Star! You're in the Death Star! I run this star!
Canteen Worker: This is a star?
Darth Vader: This is a fucking star! I run it! I'm your boss.
Canteen Worker: You're Mr. Stevens?
Darth Vader: No, I'm ... who is Mr. Stevens?
Canteen Worker: He's Head of Catering.
Darth Vader: I'm not Head of Catering! I am Vader, I can kill catering with a thought.
Canteen Worker: Wha'?
Darth Vader: I can kill you all! I can kill me with a thought! Just ... fine, I'll get a tray! Fuck it! This one's wet, and this one's wet and this one's wet. This one is wet. This one is wet. This one is wet. This one is wet. This one is wet. This one is wet. This one is wet. This one is wet. Did you dry these in a rainforest? Why, with the power of the Death Star do we not have a tray that is fucking dry? I do not ... no, no, no! I was here first!
Other guy: You have to form a queue if you want food. Can I have, uh ... ooo, penne all'arrabiata. That'd be very nice.
Darth Vader: No, no, no! Do you know who I am?
Other guy: That's Jeff Vader that is!
Darth Vader: I am not Jeff Vader, I am Darth Vader.
Other guy: What? Jeff Vader runs the Death Star?
Darth Vader: No, Jeff ... no, I run the Death Star.
Other guy: You Jeff Vader?
Darth Vader: No, I'm Darth Vader.
Other guy: Are you his brother? Could you get his autograph?
Darth Vader: I can't get his ... no, I'm Jeff ... all right, I'm Jeff Vader! I'm Jeff Vader!

Re:Damn...

[crabpeople]

I think I have files older than you...

Re:Why is this still a discussion?

[trentblase]

Seriously, soon the packaging will be like: 1TB drive *


* 7 bit bytes

Re:Why is this still a discussion?

[blhack]

We could just simplify the process and start calculating drive space in libraries of congress * elephants of pressure per square postage stamp.

Re:Why is this still a discussion?

[fo0bar]

What!?! Next thing you'll be telling me is that a kilometer isn't 1024 meters long. Please, stop this madness before it spreads!

Don't be silly. As we all know, God Almighty came down from the heavens to decree that Computers must use powers of 2 to describe international standard unit prefixes that were previously defined as powers of 10.

Of course, we all know this is an evil conspiracy by the hard drive industry. ... and the network card industry (I was shocked to find my gigabit card is not actually 1,073,741,824 bits per second). ... and the processor industry (2.4GHz? Hah, more like 2.23517GHz!). ... and the digital camera industry (blah blah megapixels. they're screwing me out of precious resolution).

Re:Zonk

[Gravol]

This hard drive will be a minimum requirement for the next MS Windows OS.

Re:why explain prefixes?

[SEMW]

"Let's just all agree to not use the actually technically correct usage" is never a good solution to anything.

Re:WOW, 1TB

[init100]

Maybe replace those MP3s with MODs?

Or 320x200 GIF pictures (maybe pr0n)?

Re:Damn...

[YrWrstNtmr]

I remember when I was 9 or 10 and the family computer could hold 10 gigs. That was nearly unfillable at the time.

You insensitive clod! I'm using one of those right now!

Re:Zonk

[belmolis]

This hard drive will be a minimum requirement for the next MS Windows OS.

Which, reflecting the bloat, will be named Skylight.

Re:WOW, 1TB

[llZENll]

"I wonder what we will say in another 16 years."

1THz CPU with 1024 cores
6TB memory
110 Petabyte hard drive

And yes, you will need that storage and power for the 3D volumetric virtual girl we will all be using as an 'input' device.

Re:Why is this still a discussion?

[kcbrown]

English is defined by common use, not by edicts.

Yep. That's why the new spelling of "lose" in the dictionary should be "loose". Which, I guess, means the new spelling of "loose" in the dictionary should be "lose".

I guess I'll just have to remember that when I loose my keys. With any luck, the door lock will be lose and I'll be able to get in. Of course, only loosers don't have a spare set of keys somewhere.

Bah. I think I'll stick with the traditional spellings.

Re:Why is this still a discussion?

[snickkers]

That's a kibometer, only new zealanders use that form of measurement though.

Re:Zonk

[Wite_Noiz]

editors shouldn't be allowed to edit!

But... what would we call them then?!

Re:Why is this still a discussion?

[zCyl]

What!?! Next thing you'll be telling me is that a kilometer isn't 1024 meters long.

Don't be silly. Kibblemeters and bits have nothing to do with each other.