Project #2 - Exploring the Hard Disc as a Blackbox

The computer disc drive is a typical black box, a
standard device with a standard interface. As a
plug-compatable device, even a novice computer
user can replace a hard disc without concern for the
intricacies of the systems (electrical, mechanical,
aerodynamic, and microprocessor) inside the
closed box.

Ah, but the curious want to know. My second project
was to explore the mechanics of 13 defective disc
drives I obtained from a local computer store.

My presentation began with a short history of the
development of hard disc drive systems by IBM, and
showing a 14-inch platter from an early 1 megabyte
IBM drive. We then diassembled the 13 drives down
to their bare frames. While some students were
disassembling the drives, others quickly found uses
for the parts found inside.

The goal of this project was to appreciate the
precision engineering that is required to design and
manufacture a common black box and to learn by
disassembling and analyzing the work of others.

H. M Collins writes about tacit knowledge in Changing
Order (University of Chicago Press, 1992), "It is a
matter of trying over and over again until the skill, what-
ever it is, has been mastered." Collins adds, "It is
equally applicable to mental activity." Learning by
doing... whether it is learning to ride a bicycle or
discovering the contents of new black boxes.