Memory Stick

How Far We've Come

Can you guess what this is? Guess

Give up? It's a computer's hard disk drive (HDD) with a measly 5 MB of storage.

I came across this picture a few days ago and it made me stop to thank the rapid advancements of technology and geekery.

In September 1956, IBM launched the 305 RAMAC, the first computer with an HDD.  It weighed over a ton and only stored 5 MB of data.  My appreciation for my 8 GB memory stick, which holds the equivalent of 1,600 of the units you see in this picture and fits on my key chain, has definitely increased.