New sector sizes on hard drives? XP 512 vs 4kb?
What's the "large HD" deal with it using like 4 gb. blocks and XP liking 512 mb, I read something to this effect, not sure what the author was trying to say...I have not seen this to be a problem, but maybe I am not getting all out of the computer that's possible.
|
What you're reading about is overhyped and confusing technical Jabberwockie that most people could just as easily ignore -- but the super-nerds of the Internet never seem to want to shut up about it. They've made an issue out of a non-issue for more than a year now.
It comes back to the way disks are made and data is stored on them. If you're not a magnetic media engineer, OS programmer or software coder, this information is only minimally useful or interesting. The issue lies between 512 byte (512b) length and 4 kilobyte (4kb) length. Older OS are aligned for 512b, while newer OS are okay with 4kb. But the hard drive companies have already consider this issue: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2010/03...windows_xp_4k/ Excerpt: Quote:
If in doubt, just buy an older drive. :) There's no shortage of them in stores or online. And I think you're looking to buy now, not in 6-12 months when the new 4k drives will be all over the place, replacing older stock. |
Most of these articles are boogeyman BS, a mix of myth and fact. For example: http://www.storagereview.com/4k_sect...ail_xps_coffin
The title of the article is little more than techie-dork fodder: "The 4K Sector - Another Nail in XP's Coffin" Real journalists avoid stupid cliches like "another nail in the coffin". And then XP more than proved it was not "outdated", given the number of professional/power users who have refused to leave it for Windows Vista and Windows 7, citing either workflow problems, resource issues, or related unfavorable issues incurred by the (often costly) upgrades. Quote:
Sorry, I just get irritated when the online psuedo-media (bloggers, forum members, review sites, etc) essentially fabricate problems where none actually exist. |
Quote:
|
This thread has already been answered, so I don't see the harm in a little threadjacking into off-topic but still sorta related banter...
Quote:
In other words, how to make people buy something by scaring the crap out of them for no good reason. For example, flood insurance when you're not in a flood plain. Or on a topic more related to this site, the malarkey that "your tapes are fading" (a topic I've publically delved into at my videohelp post). In other cases, you find businesses that try to make you NOT buy something -- again, by needlessly scaring the crap out of you. I'm not really sure where this 4K HDD issue comes in. I think I see articles going both ways. Problem is, people are so busy trying to scare you, that they skimp on the details. In essence, many times they're simply lying to you. While politics have notoriously been this way for ... well, forever ... it's far worse now. I think of all that "death panels" garbage being spewed by the right-wing wingnuts on AM radio (where it started on Limbaugh's show, if you trace it), eventually being picked up by Fox (also a pseudo-news outlet), other media, and even the average parrot/lemming you find at the office, in your family, Facebook, etc. It makes me sad to think "mainstream America" has gotten so dumb and gullible. Does nobody research anything anymore? (And no, Google doesn't count!) Are were really so sad as a society that we now take everything at face value? Pathetic, really. :( |
I have been looking and still not sure what would be the best drive for me for the money.
I have XP Pro and would like something around 500 mb I would think, do you have any you can recommend? As I look around, Tiger seems to have the best prices but the reviews don't look good... Thanks for any help! |
My advice is still this:
Quote:
I bought a refurb Seagate drive a few weeks ago for $46 shipped from woot.com -- similar deals are often found on Geeks. Good new drives from Newegg or Amazon. I would suggest you don't need to overthink this one. Any Seagate, Western Digital or Hitachi drive should be fine. I've not even seen the new 4k drives in stores or online yet. I've not looked for them, but I've not come across them either. I was in Microcenter a few days ago, and saw many drives available for good prices -- not a 4k drive in sight (but again, wasn't looking). |
Thanks!
I just thought that maybe one brand was making a better drive....but maybe they are all made in a factory in China. |
Site design, images and content © 2002-2024 The Digital FAQ, www.digitalFAQ.com
Forum Software by vBulletin · Copyright © 2024 Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.