Even early hard disk drives also used steppers, but nowadays hard drives have replaced the teppers with voice-coil servo motors. Motors used in those drives are usually 200 or 400 steps per revolution models. Both of those motors are very useful for your own projects. This type of mechanics makes it possible to make smaller drives and depends on th screw characteristics the motor can have bigger steps. How to use those motors in your own projects Stepper motors are quite useful for robotics, plotter and control projects.
Stepper motors are accurate way of making desired mechanical movements.
You can build your own controller or use ready-made controllers with them. You just have to identify the type, wiring and operating voltage of the stepper motors to be able to use them. Unfortunately stepper motors are not the easiest motor types to control and ready-made controllers are usually quite expensive. When you have just taken the motor out of the disk drive, you might have thought that there must be also a stepper controller inside the disk drive electronics. You are right that there is a controller, which is capable to drive the motor.