the blue japanese thing is a relay.

That's not a HV cap in the second picture, It's a ferrite cored transformer

I was thinking of making a PC jogwheel out of an old VCR flywheel.

VCR's a great source of parts, if you don't mind desoldering them all. Never know what you'll find.

Why is it that a simple slideshow is the only thing intructables has to resort to flash for? The editor (including built in image upload/display, autosave, etc), image notes, and comments are all javascript, but they can't add 5 more lines of code around the existing image selector to automate it?

Blue component in Photo1 is a Varistor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varistor

Photo 4 is the Capstan motor

Photo 5 & 6 is the video head assembly drum.

Photo 7 & 8 Inductors

Photo 10 Vacuum Fluorescent Display

Photo 11 does look like an IR emitter or Receiver

Photo 12 transformer and ceramic capacitor

Photo 13 12V relay

Photo 14 optical rotation sensor and the blue thing is either a capacitor or possibly a ceramic filter (can't see it well enough to tell)

Photo 15 transformer

No more time for now.

Ok it looks like you are asking what some of this stuff is so here goes. Pg.1 The light blue things look like high voltage ceramic caps but they could be a surge protection device. Pg. 7 & 8 those are liduction coils. notice on the pcb they are labled L864 and L865? L means induction coil. Pg. 10 That is a Vaccume florecent display or VFD it is not mechanical Pg. 11 That is a Led, photo diode or phototransistor; posibly of the IR persuasion. Pg. 12 that looks like a transformer but it might just be an inductor can't tell from this pic. the round brown thing is a ceramic disc capacitor. Pg. 13 that is a 12v coil relay used to switch 120v with 12v. Pg. 14 That is an optical encoder for an encoder wheel. Pg. 15 I would think transformer but you can't tell from a pic. Pg. 16 Same deal as the last page. If you post a closeup of the blue things so I can see the numbers on it and the silkscreened numbers on the pcb around it I can give you a more definitive answer. Pg. 18 Transformers or inductors depends how many wires are coming out of 'em Pg. 19 Left and center: caps, caps and more caps there are many kinds of capacitors only electrolitic caps look like a can. Right: you should now the deal by now. Pg. 20 Yep that's an induction coil for sure. Pg. 21-26 not sure take better pics. Pg. 27 Nope, but it is a laser diode just not the same color or power.

Pics 7 and 8: appears to be some type of inductor. The part numbers begin with an L, which is the normal code letter for inductor.

Pics 25 and 26: the shiny red thing looks like a small reed relay.

Pic 14: An optical decoder (LED and photodetector) for mouse movements.

Also-- all transformers are types of inductors (which means that all inductors are not transformers.)

Photo1: The blue thing is a high voltage ceramic capacitor.The black and white thing is an inductor. Photo2: A cover/power dissapator for high voltage capacitors. Part of the power supply transformer circuit. Photo3: An overhead of photo2 Photo4: The flywheel of a stepper motor. This is used to roll the tape (and also go forward or backward one frame). By sequentially magnetizing each leg, the motor will move one degree... Photo5: The other part of the stepper motor. Photo6: Side view of stepper motor head. Photo7: Old style diodes. These are not used anymore. Photo9: Crystal for a microchip. Provides a clock source to run one of the silicon chips. Photo10: An extremely old display. It is mechanical so it is before they came out with 7-segment displays. One could certainly have fun incorporating that into a circuit project (ie. a clock)

Pg4 is part of a motor, the same type but smaller come in dvd/cd burners/readers.

Well, the first blue things look to be inductors or possibly caps. But the second one that looks like a bean is a ceramic resonator.

The blue and orange disc-shaped things are probably ceramic caps. The rectangular metal can is probably a crystal.