An old-style 14-inch hard disk in a floor-standing cabinet.So called because of the size of the cabinet and the "top-loading" access to the media packs - and, of course, they were always set on "spin cycle".The thick channel cables connecting these were called "bit hoses".The washing-machine idiom transcends language barriersit is even used in Russian hacker jargon.See also walking drives.(1995-02-15)