Re: [ARSCLIST] Storing digital media

[steven c <stevenc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Don Cox" <doncox@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> On 09/05/06, steven c wrote:
> > Actually, computers themselves (which is what "servers" are) have an
> > essentially unlimited life span (barring power surges, lightning
> > strikes, nuclear explosions, etc.), since they have no moving parts.
> 
> But they do have capacitors and often batteries on board. Both of these
> can degenerate.
> 
Batteries, yes...I have several old computers that start out convinced
that January 1. 1980 has returned to haunt us. Capacitors, generally only
if lightning strikes close by!
> > Hard drives don't, since they DO have moving parts...but I would 
> > suspect their life span is better measured in hours of use...so
> > that drives whose primary function is archival storage would probably
> > have extended life spans. Also, I don't imagine there would be any
> > substantial difference dependent upon whether the drives were internal
> > or external.
> > 
> > The important thing would be to have one drive dedicated as the C:
> > drive for each archival computer...and NOT to use that drive for 
> > any archival storage, since it gets some use whenever the computer
> > is operating.
> 
> The system drive is only called "C:" in Windows and MSDOS.
What does Apple call it? Having been using Wintel boxes for going
on two decades, I'm used to seeing C:> (or was until Windows
overruled DOS, anyway).
> > 
...stevenc
http://users.interlinks.net/stevenc/