Steve Gibson is an American programmer. In the early 1990s, he decided to build the Steve's Dream Machine , a dream computer with the best components available at that time. Five documents are known: - The Technology of Magnetic Disk Storage - A Hard Disk Drive for Steve's Dream Machine - The Logical Structure, Organization, and Management of Hard Disk Drives - The Quest for the Ultimate Display System - The Amazing Realities of SOFTWARE VIRUSES! In these articles Steve deeply analize the problem (for example buying the best graphic card), for every possible solution he discusses advantages and disadvantages until he identifies the be...

…ÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕª ∫ ∫ ∫ The Amazing Realities ∫ ∫ of SOFTWARE VIRUSES! ∫ ∫ ∫ ∫ by ∫ ∫ Steve Gibson ∫ ∫ GIBSON RESEARCH CORPORATION ∫ ∫ ∫ ∫ Portions of this text originally appeared in Steve's ∫ ∫ InfoWorld Magazine TechTalk Column. ∫ ∫ ∫ »ÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕº My mother always hoped I'd become a doctor... actually a brain surgeon. Since I work with electronic "brains" every day I always thought that was a close as I would come to "doctoring" anything, but the recent flare-up of interest in software viruses, infections, cures, antidotes and in...

…ÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕª ∫ ∫ ∫ The Quest for the ∫ ∫ Ultimate Display System ∫ ∫ ∫ ∫ by ∫ ∫ Steve Gibson ∫ ∫ GIBSON RESEARCH CORPORATION ∫ ∫ ∫ ∫ Portions of this text originally appeared in Steve's ∫ ∫ InfoWorld Magazine TechTalk Column. ∫ ∫ ∫ »ÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕº I remember those simple days not so long ago when a purchaser of a brand new IBM Personal Computer had only one choice to make when it came to choosing the display system for his computer. Blessedly, the only choice to be made back then was between either a monochrome display and adpater, th...

…ÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕª ∫ ∫ ∫ The Logical Structure, Organization, ∫ ∫ and Management of Hard Disk Drives ∫ ∫ ∫ ∫ by ∫ ∫ Steve Gibson ∫ ∫ GIBSON RESEARCH CORPORATION ∫ ∫ ∫ ∫ Portions of this text originally appeared in Steve's ∫ ∫ InfoWorld Magazine TechTalk Column. ∫ ∫ ∫ »ÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕº As our operating systems and application software have continued to grow in size, their memory requirements have increased steadily. A vital memory in our system is hard disk storage. Bound within the hard disk's structure lie the answers to questions like: ...

…ÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕª ∫ ∫ ∫ A Hard Disk Drive ∫ ∫ for ∫ ∫ Steve's Dream Machine ∫ ∫ ∫ ∫ by ∫ ∫ Steve Gibson ∫ ∫ GIBSON RESEARCH CORPORATION ∫ ∫ ∫ ∫ Portions of this text originally appeared in Steve's ∫ ∫ InfoWorld Magazine TechTalk Column. ∫ ∫ ∫ »ÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕº I love hard disk storage, it's elegant, amazing, tricky, logical, and completely understandable. So let's begin by discussing one of my favorite aspects of modern personal computer architecture, and some critical components of Steve's Dream Machine... the Hard Disk Stor...

…ÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕª ∫ ∫ ∫ The Technology of ∫ ∫ Magnetic Disk Storage ∫ ∫ ∫ ∫ by ∫ ∫ Steve Gibson ∫ ∫ GIBSON RESEARCH CORPORATION ∫ ∫ ∫ ∫ ∫ ∫ Portions of this text originally appeared in Steve's ∫ ∫ InfoWorld Magazine TechTalk Column. ∫ ∫ ∫ »ÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕÕº The technologies used to store and retrieve data to floppy and hard disks is intriguing, intuitive, and surprisingly simple. This article examines the technology of disk data storage. Soon you'll know exactly how and why RLL hard disk controllers are able to pack 50 percent more data o...