Dertonarm, magnet and air bearings also have their own drawbacks. Magnet bearing a'la Verdier bears the platter weight with no friction but features conventinal journal bearing, which is more loaded, and most importantly less evenly loaded due to inherent instability of magnetic repulsion system: magnets are trying to slip sideways with the side force increasing as the deviation from perfect concentricity of the two toroidal magnetic fields increases. I'm not familiar with any other magnets arrangement addressing lateral instability, do you?
High pressure double air bearing (vertical and lateral) is near close to perfection, providing compressor noise, water condensation, air contaminations and pressure fluctuations problems solved. In addition, it shall provide possibility to safely "land" the platter in case of sudden pressure loss, otherwise axial bearing may be easily ruined. This is the first rate engineering problem by itself, bearing in mind very small air gap.
What do you think about hybrid bearing: magnet axial bearing combined with air journal bearing for lateral stability? Sounds crazy complicated, but who cares?
High pressure double air bearing (vertical and lateral) is near close to perfection, providing compressor noise, water condensation, air contaminations and pressure fluctuations problems solved. In addition, it shall provide possibility to safely "land" the platter in case of sudden pressure loss, otherwise axial bearing may be easily ruined. This is the first rate engineering problem by itself, bearing in mind very small air gap.
What do you think about hybrid bearing: magnet axial bearing combined with air journal bearing for lateral stability? Sounds crazy complicated, but who cares?