The Largest and Smallest Hard Drives Ever Made

This is a 4 MB hard disk platter from 1961:

 

This is a 4,000 MB hard disk platter from 2004:

 

The 4,000 MB platter is the dot you see in the center of the first photo:

 

These are the largest and smallest commercial hard drives ever made, respectively.

The larger drive is from a Bryant Model 2 Series 4000 Disk File. The platter is 39" diameter and 1/4" thick. It is made of magnesium. This particular platter came from a drive that was originally installed at Collins Radio Company in Cedar Rapids, IA.

The smaller drive is a Toshiba MK4001MTD. The platter is 0.85" diameter.

 

Edge view:

 

A photo of the Bryant Model 2 Series 4000 Disc File, from the Computer History Museum:

Computer Type: 

Comments

Here is an IBM drive, I think it's a 5mb drive from the the late 50's/early 60's.  My son is standing next to it for size comparison.

 

[img]https://www.applefritter.com/files/IMG_1431.jpg[/img]

 

tokabln's picture

@Corey986: the shown disk drive is an IBM 3380 Model E drive, build around 1981/1982 time frame. Such systems where build and tested in San Jose (California), in Japan (I don't remember the city name), as well as in West-Berlin (Germany) during cold war and before the German wall falls. I was a technician at IBM Germany and here in Berlin we build and tested such systems prior they where shipped to customers.

 

Such systems where setup as a so called string and are based on a controller (master) machine and max. 3 slave machines attached to each other via BUS Cable. This diskdrive system family consists of 3380 D/E/J/K later one 3390... and are the successor of 3350 / 3370 / 3375 diskdrives.

 

Update: 06/15/2019 - tokabln

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Beside some more chronological informations about the IBM DASD series 33xx family

3330 series

https://www.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/storage/storage_3330.html

 

3340 series

https://www.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/storage/storage_3340.html

 

3350 series  - together with colleagues I did the endtest of such machines during my workmanship for IBM

https://www.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/storage/storage_3350.html

 

3370 series

https://www.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/storage/storage_3370.html

 

3380 series - together with colleagues I did the endtest of such machines during my workmanship for IBM

https://www.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/storage/storage_3380.html

 

3390  series - together with colleagues I did the endtest of such machines during my workmanship for IBM

https://www.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/storage/storage_3390.html

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While the following one is the tiniest Harddisk which where ever build (to my knowledge):

 

Tom Owad's picture

While the following one is the tiniest Harddisk which where ever build (to my knowledge):

 

It's close, but not quite. The Microdrive has a 1" platter. The Toshiba MK4001MTD (pictured in the center of the Bryant platter) is 0.85".  Below is a photo of the Toshiba enclosure next to a CompactFlash card:

achimhb's picture

Great Bryant 39" hard disk platter.

After all, I now have it in my collection as well. Including the original wooden box from Bryant.

I have white paint around the aluminum ring in the middle, which is very porous, comes off and sticks to the plate. I still have to remove it all and then hope to be able to clean the panel. 

 

So far, I know only about 4 Bryant 39" hard disk platters in private hands, one in the CHM and one in the National UK Computer Museum. Any more?

Tom Owad's picture

achimhb wrote:

After all, I now have it in my collection as well. Including the original wooden box from Bryant.

Do you know anything about the history? If it came in a box, it sounds like it might have been a spare.