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Besides huge storage capacities, hard disks provide sequential access to the information stored on them. They have long life spans and data can be written, created, shifted, modified and erased any number of times on them. This makes them an irreplaceable storage device.

HDDs were originally developed for use with computers but their applications have expanded beyond computers to include digital video recorders, digital audio players, personal digital assistants, digital cameras and video game consoles.

All hard disks share the basic structure. A typical HDD design consists of one or more flat circular disks called platters, on which magnetised data is recorded. Traditionally, platters were made of a light aluminum but newer technology uses glass and/or ceramic platters because they can be made thinner and have better heat resistance.

Most drives have at least two platters and more platters mean larger storage capacities. Each platter is magnetized on each side, so a drive with 2 platters has 4 sides to store data. The platters are separated by disk spacers and clamped to a rotating spindle that turns all the platters in unison at a constant rate ranging from 3,600 to 7,200 RPM.

Information is written on a platter as it rotates past mechanisms called read-and-write heads.They operate very close over the magnetic surface. The read-and-write head is used to detect and modify the information immediately under it. There is one head for each magnetic platter surface on the spindle, mounted on a common arm.

When one head is over a track, all the other heads are at the same location over their respective surfaces. Typically, only one of the heads is active at a time, reading or writing data. When not in use, the heads rest on the stationary platters at a predetermined position called the landing zone. When in motion the spinning of the platters create air pressure that lifts the heads off the platters.

Hard disk drives are considerably stable medium for data storage with good memory. They, however, have some typical shortcomings leading to data loss:

1. Head Crash: The space between the platter and the head is so minute that even one dust particle or a fingerprint can disable the spin and lead to a head crash. It is a failure of the disk in which the head scrapes across the platter surface, often grinding away the thin magnetic film causing data loss.

It is the main cause of data loss from the hard disk. Head crashes can be caused by external contamination, electronic failure, sudden power failure, physical shock, wear and tear, corrosion, or poorly manufactured platters and heads.

In event of a hard disk crash the user should immediately stop working on the computer. He should not run a programme, write mails or browse the net or even install DIY software. All these activities create new files and can overwrite the existing files. Any overwritten data is lost forever. He should immediately call a data recovery company. It needs expertise and experience to retrieve any data from a crashed hard disc and only professionals can do a good job of it

2. Software Errors: Hard disks can loose data due to software errors often triggered by the users themselves. These include an accidental deletion of a file and emptying of recycle bin by mistake. Another software error could be due to virus attack on the system while down loading data from internet or through copying of corrupt CDs.

3. Reformatting: A lot of times hard disks lose data during reformatting of the disk. Format means to prepare a storage medium, usually a disk, for reading and writing. When we format a disk, the operating system erases all bookkeeping information on the disk and creates new internal address tables that it later uses to locate information. All the data on the drive can be lost if the reformatting attempt fails. Therefore it is essential to take a data backup before reformatting a hard disk drive.

Most major hard disk vendors now support self-monitoring, analysis, and reporting technology (S.M.A.R.T.), which attempt to alert users to impending failures. However, not all failures are predictable. Normal use eventually can lead to a breakdown in the fragile structure of the device, making it essential for the user to periodically back up data on a separate storage device. Failure to do so can lead to data loss. While it may be possible to recover lost information, it is normally an extremely costly procedure, with no guaranteed success in the attempt.

In the world of smartphones, it’s not unfair to say that Windows Mobile is one of the premier operating systems that mobile phones can be built around. There are two big contenders for the title of best Windows Mobile phone, at the minute: the Sony Ericsson X1 and the Samsung i900 Omnia. But which one is best? Let’s put them to the test and find out!

Samsung i900 Omnia - Windows Mobile for the masses

Announced a couple of days before Apple launched the iPhone 3G (hmm, do I spot a bit of attention-grabbing), the Samsung i900 Omnia is a beautifully powerful, incredibly good-looking mobile phone. Sitting within a sleek, metal shell, it’s following the pattern of an increasing number of mobile phones, and stripping down the number of keys, focusing instead on just a touchscreen interface. Also, like an increasing number of mobile phones, Samsung have taken Windows Mobile, and put their own interface on top of it, making the insides look as good as the outside (not literally, obviously. If you take a Samsung i900 Omnia apart, you’ll find cables and circuit boards, which aren’t noted for being sexy). Not only has it got a slick interface, but the hardware features are spot on, with 5 megapixel camera, HSDPA, and GPS. It’s fair to say the Samsung i900 Omnia is one of the most powerful mobile phones going.

Sony Ericsson X1 - the first of a new breed

The Sony Ericsson X1 is a mobile phone of firsts, in more than one way. For one thing, it’s the first phone in Sony Ericsson’s new Xperia range of mobile phones. For another, it’s the first EVER Sony Ericsson mobile phone to be built around Windows Mobile (with the almost obligatory personalised interface on top). Finally, it’s first mobile phone (not just from Sony Ericsson, from anybody), to feature the innovative ‘arc slider’ design. What’s that? Well, when you slide out the screen, to unveil the QWERTY keyboard, it doesn’t slide in a straight line, but instead, it arcs slightly upwards, angling the screen so you can see it more easily, while you’re typing. Massive kudos go to Sony Ericsson for that, since it’s such a useful, clever feature, I genuinely can’t believe we’ve never seen it on any other mobile phones before now. In terms of hardware on the Sony Ericsson X1, you get a 3 megapixel camera, HSDPA and WiFi, GPS and that aforementioned QWERTY keyboard, all wrapped up in a gorgeous (and I mean properly gorgeous) metal body.

Sony Ericsson or Samsung - which should YOU buy?

So, when it comes down to it, which of these two super-powered mobile phones should you drop your cash for? Should you go for the sleek, slim Samsung, or should you go for the more functional, but equally sexy Sony Ericsson? If you compare the two mobile phones, some conclusions should become apparent. For example, take the cameras in both mobile phones. The Samsung clearly wins that fight, as it has a much higher res camera than the Sony Ericsson. However, after the camera, the Sony Ericsson REALLY comes into its own. The simple fact that the Sony Ericsson X1 has a QWERTY keyboard is a massive plus point over the Samsung, even if the Samsung is the slimmer of the two mobile phones. The keyboard adds that much more ease of use, that it’s basically an essential feature. Finally, there are two areas that the Sony Ericsson absolutely canes the Samsung in. First, the speed. The Sony Ericsson X1 appears one of the fastest, smoothest Windows Mobile phones I’ve ever seen, and although the Samsung is good, it’s just not quite AS good. Finally, there’s the screen. The Samsung has a slightly better one, but the Sony Ericsson has FOUR times the screen resolution, completely dwarfing the Samsung. And for that reason, of these two gorgeous mobile phones, the Sony Ericsson X1 is the absolute, and outright winner!