[Naris]

While being bored I stumbled upon the wikipedia article for HDD http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_disk and took a look at some of the technologies.

Under the description it stated that:

"The magnetic surface of each platter is divided into many small sub-micrometre-sized magnetic regions, each of which is used to encode a single binary unit of information. In today's hard disks each of these magnetic regions is composed of a few hundred magnetic grains. Each magnetic region forms a magnetic dipole which generates a highly localised magnetic field nearby. The write head magnetizes a magnetic region by generating a strong local magnetic field nearby. Early hard disks used the same inductor that was used to read the data as an electromagnet to create this field. Later versions of inductive heads included, metal in Gap (MIG) heads and thin film heads."

While this question is one brought on by lack of sleep (finals), I was wondering if there were every anyone who would reverse engineer this type of magnetic regions and write binary units to it manually (maybe with some type of precise machine). Could they, with time independently create grand works of computer art by coding their way up essentially blind?

I realize this question is a bit foolish, as I'm sure coding works entirely different from the way I'm thinking but... anybody think this is even possible? And if it were, would it be considered a sort of precise art form?

 

[jmmtn4aj]

I'm sure you could, but how many millions of 1s and 0s would a person need to write to create even a simple program? The guys who type 1 to 1 mil (or whatever) on a typewriter take years to do it..

 

[Lord Chaos]

The closest thing I've heard of to what I think your idea is, was a man who created paper rolls for Player pianos by hand. Most rolls were made by someone playing the piano, which meant the music was limited to what a human being could do. This man would punch the paper directly, which allowed him to make very dense music. I found it interesting, but unlistenable for any length of time.

It could be your idea, however, is for visual art... which means you'd have to come up with a way to see it.

 

[redshifter]

i'm not really clear what the end result would be to such a project. to have a program built from the disc surface backwards? you would have to have amazing planning skills, probably years of work, and you would need to invent a new software developement lifecycle model, maybe "reverse waterfall".

even so, the end result would probably be as a million monkeys typing for a million years: a lot of noise for very little signal.

since a hard drive is a magnetic medium, i wonder if it could be engineered to record an ANALOG SOUND input, like live music. the disc could be spun super fast for good quality, and recorded like an lp record, one long srip of magnetism. well, considering the physical magnetic binary nature of a hd this would involve re-engineering the platter too.

 

[ilovesocks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Naris /img/forum/go_quote.gif Could they, with time independently create grand works of computer art by coding their way up essentially blind?

I guess that would be as nearly impossible as writing a symphony on parchment with a quill pen (no erasing!), not being able to listen to a sample of what you were writing as you wrote it. Imagine if you were deaf, too!

Wait . . .

Actually, it would be harder than that. There are way more 1's and 0's in a program than notes in a symphony.

EDIT: I remember a cartoon in the newspaper a few years back whose caption was "A programmer's keyboard" and it showed a guy at a computer with a keyboard whose only two buttons were a hand-sized "1" and "0." Pretty hilarious.

 

[utep10]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Naris /img/forum/go_quote.gif I was wondering if there were every anyone who would reverse engineer this type of magnetic regions and write binary units to it manually (maybe with some type of precise machine). Could they, with time independently create grand works of computer art by coding their way up essentially blind? I realize this question is a bit foolish, as I'm sure coding works entirely different from the way I'm thinking but... anybody think this is even possible? And if it were, would it be considered a sort of precise art form?

I'm not sure I understand what you are asking. What do you mean by "grand works of computer art"? Talking visual art or musical art? Sorry for my "dense-ness.

btw. MIG and Thin-film technology is way old in the HD industry. Maybe close to 10 years old.

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Naris /img/forum/go_quote.gif I was wondering if there were every anyone who would reverse engineer this type of magnetic regions and write binary units to it manually (maybe with some type of precise machine). Could they, with time independently create grand works of computer art by coding their way up essentially blind?

Possible in theory, but wholey unlikely anyone would ever attempt it.

 

[omedon]

Damn, when I opened this thread I was certain the question was going to be: Pretzels or Churros?

 

[werdwerdus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by redshifter /img/forum/go_quote.gif i'm not really clear what the end result would be to such a project. to have a program built from the disc surface backwards? you would have to have amazing planning skills, probably years of work, and you would need to invent a new software developement lifecycle model, maybe "reverse waterfall". even so, the end result would probably be as a million monkeys typing for a million years: a lot of noise for very little signal. since a hard drive is a magnetic medium, i wonder if it could be engineered to record an ANALOG SOUND input, like live music. the disc could be spun super fast for good quality, and recorded like an lp record, one long srip of magnetism. well, considering the physical magnetic binary nature of a hd this would involve re-engineering the platter too.

also hard drives are made up of concentric circles, correct? instead of like an LP or CD which uses one "track" that spirals outward.