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Chris Jacob
Magnetism is a very weak force. Magnetic field strength dissipates in proportion to the inverse cube of the distance. It would take a magnet of roughly 20,000 to 30,000 gauss to erase a hard drive (with several passes of varying field strength) at extremely close proximity. By comparison, the average refrigerator magnet is 10 gauss as measured at the surface of the magnet. At a distance of 1/8" the gauss rating has dropped to 2, and at further distances, the field strength is diminished almost completely for measurable effects. For most magnets under 1/4 cubic inch (ferro-ceramic or neodymium) the field strength at more than 1/2" would be insufficient to damage any modern SATA HDD (which often use neodymium magnets with a gauss field strength of upwards of 20,000 for controlling the internal mechanisms, in addition to electromagnetic fields).
Sticking a fridge magnet on your computer case isn't going to hurt anything. You could even rub a fridge magnet on the outer surface of a 3.5" HDD with no adverse results. The enclosure is aluminum to prevent magnetic field induction, and the internal platters are purposely at least 1/8" to 1/4" from the outermost surface to allow for dissipation of all but the most intense magnetic fields.
Finally, you could rub a flash memory card directly on a 30,000 gauss magnet, and it won't have any effect, because flash memory is not magnetic storage. #cardreadermagnet
Magnets are not a problem. It's alternating magnetic fields that can mess up tapes, and the like. Memory cards are not affected by ordinary magnets. Try it at home. Put a magnet right on top of your SD card, move it around, leave it there for 3 days. Nothing will happen. #cardreadermagnet
Be as it may that a PC case probably provides enough protection against most normal magnets I still wouldn't feel comfortable with this nearby. Magnets screw up too many things to have them anywhere but a fridge. #cardreadermagnet
@Odin: Like what exactly? Unless you're still using floppies, modern media is all but impervious to magnets except those much stronger than you'd have available to you. #cardreadermagnet
@twilight-arc:
@bobman1235:
Oh yes I'm well aware that stuff isn't that vulnerable and fragile. Still I'd prefer to keep my data away from anything even remotely harmful.
@sneakypoo: Brace yourself. Apparently there are hordes of idiots storming the gates who have no clue that flash memory cards are not magnetic media. Witnessing such ignorance, especially here, makes me wince, like having salt rubbed into a wound. #cardreadermagnet
@matt buchanan: I'm with you. I was nodding my head, thinking, "Yes, yes... this could be good." Then the unforgivable dearth of CF support made me look away. I abhor a multiformat card reader that forsakes CF under the guise of svelte formfactor. #cardreadermagnet
Good for the server room where its too warm for the computers and too cold for human life and everyone and his brother wants you to convert or upload some file or other.
"The manufacturers of the machines have also got to decide whether it is worth their while to produce them. I think that organisations will decide in time that it is better, quicker and cheaper to have them."
So the government spends 6.6 billion dollars hoping the manufacturers will think it's worth their while....
This has got to be the absolute Epic Fail of Epic Fails..
@Jrsy Devil's Advocate: I am really, really sick and tired of people throwing around 'fail' and 'epic fail'. However, I'll grant quarter in this case because it really is such an epic bloody fail!.
10/27/09
Sticking a fridge magnet on your computer case isn't going to hurt anything. You could even rub a fridge magnet on the outer surface of a 3.5" HDD with no adverse results. The enclosure is aluminum to prevent magnetic field induction, and the internal platters are purposely at least 1/8" to 1/4" from the outermost surface to allow for dissipation of all but the most intense magnetic fields.
Finally, you could rub a flash memory card directly on a 30,000 gauss magnet, and it won't have any effect, because flash memory is not magnetic storage. #cardreadermagnet
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@bobman1235:
Oh yes I'm well aware that stuff isn't that vulnerable and fragile. Still I'd prefer to keep my data away from anything even remotely harmful.
...just in case. #cardreadermagnet
10/27/09
And do you feel good about sticking a magnet on your computer? I don't... I'm not a gamblin' man.
Hey - hard drive cases are metal too... #cardreadermagnet
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edit: Forgot I was at Giz so hopefully that wont happen.
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So the government spends 6.6 billion dollars hoping the manufacturers will think it's worth their while....
This has got to be the absolute Epic Fail of Epic Fails..
02/06/09
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