Abstract: A method of storing and accessing data from a storage device. The method includes providing a storage that includes a first interface associated with a read-write head configured to read and write data to the storage, the storage further having a second interface associated with a read-only head configured to only read data from the storage, where the first interface includes a hardware selection switch for configuring a first head assembly carrying the read-write head to read data from and write data to the storage, and where the second interface includes a second hardware selection switch for configuring a second head assembly carrying the read-only head to only read data from the storage, and where a first computer connected to the first interface can both read and write data to the storage, while a second computer connected to the second interface can only read data from the storage.

Abstract: A data storage device, method and program product for high data transfer and access rate is disclosed. The data storage device includes a housing wherein at least one data storage disk is rotatably mounted. The housing further includes at least two actuator arm assemblies, each actuator arm assembly carrying a head for reading data from or writing data to the data storage disks. According to the invention the data storage device housing further includes a plurality of device interfaces, one device interface being associated to each of the actuator arm assemblies, and a common hard drive controller. Each of the plurality of device interfaces includes at least one hardware selection switch to configure the respective device interfaces for either read and write mode or read-only mode.