I just came across a washing machine that advertises its 1200RPM spin cycle, for superior water extraction. Hey, I thought, that's approximately the speed of a slow hard drive.

Why not combine the two? Just magnetize the outside of that gigantic spinning drum, add read/write heads, and you've got a gigantic secondary storage device.

As washing technology improves, no doubt we'll soon see 5600RPM spin cycles, and performance will approach the traditional drive.

Data loss may occur if washer is not loaded evenly.
-- beland, Jun 11 2007

(?) someone tell James Dyson http://www.dyson.co...rticle.asp?aID=cr01
maybe they can resurrect his purple washing machine [simonj, Feb 23 2012]

Or maybe not - I guess if you package the fish properly, you could still do dishes... http://www.google.c...t=i&cr=&safe=images
[normzone, Feb 28 2012]

Archived copy of above-linked Dyson washing machine page https://web.archive...icle.asp%3FaID=cr01
// It was an expensive machine to make - too expensive. So reluctantly we stopped production. // [notexactly, Oct 03 2019]

If you bypass the door switch and watch the drum spin, you'll notice that's it's ALWAYS off-center, even with no load. It may not be a lot of eccentricity, but I'll bet it's enough if you're trying to store more than a few hundred bits on the drum.

No bun, but the idea is way too random and creative for a bone. You'd save electricity if it worked, at least, and nothing precludes the drum and head from BOTH moving, I guess.
-- kevinthenerd, Feb 22 2012


Reminds me of an old bit of repartee...

" What would you do if you saw a flying washing machine? "

" Front loading or top ? "
-- normzone, Feb 23 2012


It's well known that, if you put in an even number of socks, you'll get out an odd number. Using a washing machine for data storage will result in parity errors.
-- mouseposture, Feb 23 2012


You could do this, if the read/write head were floating. By which I mean, flexibly mounted and guided in such a way as to remain a constant distance from the surface of the drum.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Feb 23 2012


Washing machines can supposedly be used once to cook rice, in pillowcases. After that's been done they are clogged with starch and cannot be reused. The source where i read this (can't remember it except that it was a book to which i'd contributed) also claimed fish could be cooked in dishwashers if they were wrapped in foil, and you would even be able to use the dishwasher again afterwards.
-- nineteenthly, Feb 28 2012


Yes, but only for cooking more fish (link).
-- normzone, Feb 28 2012


// Washing machines can supposedly be used once to cook rice, in pillowcases. //

Why would anyone ever want to do such a thing, or consider the result of such an experiment worth publishing in a book?
-- notexactly, Oct 03 2019



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