retrocomputing

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IBM announced the world’s first HDD, the 3.75MB RAMAC 350 disk storage unit, 69 years ago today — unit weighed more than a ton, 50 platters ran at 1,200 RPM (www.tomshardware.com)

submitted 4 weeks ago by cm0002@piefed.world to c/retrocomputing@lemmy.sdf.org

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[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 23 points 4 weeks ago (2 children)

RAMAC 350 would allow businesses to get rid of their old tub files full of punch cards, and many human filing operatives.

For anyone wondering how it made financial sense, as usual, the goal was to replace expensive, touchy, uppity humans with machines.

[–] moody 10 points 4 weeks ago

I hate uppity humans.

[–] Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe 6 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

No, it wasn't.

It was to speed access to data. Unless you have some evidence the researchers who work with electromechanics at the time were thinking "how can we replace humans", rather than "how can we represent 80 columns of data electromechanically?"

No need for this nonsensical hyperbole.

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 0 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago)

I mean, I'm sure cost savings on labour were noticed as well. And that's not a bad thing.