Computers have impacted on nearly every aspect of our professional and personal lives in the last two decades.

Magnetic alloys containing platinum (mainly with cobalt) are now crucial components in the hard disks of virtually all computers manufactured today - at least 90% by the start of 2001. This is the largest single electronic application for platinum and demand doubled between 1998 and 2000.

Platinum allows for a greater data storage density and has thus enabled manufacturers to reduce the number of disks in each hard drive, falling from an average of 1.8 to 1.6 in 2000-2001.