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IBM Reinvents Punch Cards

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the plus-ca-change dept.

grim_thing writes "I.B.M. scientists say they have created a data-storage technology that can store the equivalent of 200 CD-ROM's on a surface the size of a postage stamp. Writing in the current issue of the journal IEEE Transactions on Nanotechnology, researchers at I.B.M.'s laboratories in Zurich report that they have achieved a storage density of one trillion bits of data per square inch, about 25 times as great as current hard disks." Reuters also has a story.

5 of 309 comments (clear)

  1. Really? by SuiteSisterMary · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'd have thought that most of the optical media, such as CD-ROM, was the spirtual, if not linear, descendant of punch cards. Only difference is how many holes, the idea of spinning for faster access, and using a "las-er" instead of some form of mechanical armature.

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  2. possible use... by paradesign · · Score: 3, Insightful
    if its durable ernough (there are moving parts) i can see this being used by ther military since they would obviously last through an EMP blast. perfect for high density long term archiving. maybe we will all have on embeded in us and it wil contain our DNA table so in an emergency doctors can administrate gene therapy?

    just thinkin

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  3. Why is it that... by gTsiros · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ...the big blue relatively frequently comes up with reports/announces of various types of advanced technology regarding storage, yet they haven't shown an actual product for even one of these technologies? They are not even exceptionaly good on the HD market too (i don't bash them. i am just curious.)

    Technology is all sweet and nice...but without a product :/

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  4. I can hear it now ... by Jucius+Maximus · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Jack Valenti and Hilary Rosen are crying ...

  5. Re:Interesting by sphealey · · Score: 5, Insightful
    [IBM] just sold their Hard disk unit to [H]itachi. And a few days later they report a new storage format. Makes you think.
    I just opened the front door to my house. And a few seconds later it started to rain really, really hard.
    You might want to take a class in game theory and business strategy. The difference between the first post and your counterexample is that IBM very definately has non-public knowledge about (a) the future prospects of hard drive technology (b) potential replacements for mechanical hard drives. Given IBM's need for continued growth, if they have a technology in house that they think has, say, a 33% chance of replacing hard drive, it would make perfect sense to sell the hard drive business for 20 billion and invest 6 billion in the new technology. A gamble, but with a potentially huge payoff.

    sPh