One of the earliest computers I worked on (ca. 1968) was an IBM 1130. Its disk drive (5MB, I think) used a voice coil. I'd set up a Fortran compile, then walk to the other end of the (smallish) building to get a coffee. There was a particular clunk kind of sound as the compiler started to write out the object file. When I heard that, it was time to go back to the machine room.