SanDisk Launches 32GB 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive

Seagate Ships 160GB 7200-RPM Notebook Hard Drive With Free-Fall Protection

SanDisk Launches 32GB 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive

SanDisk Corporation today broadened its solid state drive (SSD) product line for the portable computer market with the introduction of a 32-gigabyte 2.5-inch Serial ATA model, compatible with most mainstream notebook designs. Coming just two months after SanDisk introduced a 1.8-inch SSD for ultraportable notebooks, the 2.5-inch SSD is now available to PC manufacturers as a drop-in replacement for hard disk drives.

The vast majority of notebook computers manufactured today use 2.5-inch hard disk drives. The SanDisk 2.5-inch SSD fits in the same internal slot as 2.5-inch hard disks, so notebook manufacturers can switch to the SanDisk SSD without altering their hardware designs.

The key benefits of SanDisk SSDs for computer manufacturers and their customers are:

• Reliability. SanDisk SSDs deliver 2 million hours MTBF, approximately six times more than notebook hard disks. With no moving parts, SanDisk SSDs are also much less likely to fail when a notebook computer is dropped or exposed to extreme temperatures.
• Performance. In notebook computers, data moves to and from an SSD more than 100 times faster than data moving to and from a hard disk. SanDisk SSDs offer a sustained read rate of 67 MB per second and a random read rate of 7,000 inputs/outputs per second (IOPS) for a 512-byte transfer. As a result, notebooks equipped with a 2.5-inch SanDisk SSD can boot Microsoft Windows Vista Enterprise in as little as 30 seconds and access files at an average speed of 0.11 milliseconds. A notebook using a hard disk requires an average 48 seconds to boot and an average 17 milliseconds to access files.
• Power efficiency. SanDisk SSDs have minimal power requirements, with savings rated at over 50 percent compared with a hard disk drive -- 0.9 watts during active operation versus 1.9 watts. This is particularly important in extending battery life for road warriors, enabling them to remain productive while in transit.
• Cool and quiet. Because SanDisk SSDs don’t need a motor, bearings or a moving head mechanism, they generate much less heat than hard disk drives. SanDisk SSDs are also completely silent, while hard disk drives always make at least some noise during read and write operations.

The 32GB, 2.5-inch SanDisk SSD is available now to computer manufacturers, with initial pricing of $350 for large volume orders. SanDisk SSDs will be demonstrated at the CeBIT show in Hannover, Germany, from March 15 to 21, 2007, in Hall 23, Stand B28, and will be featured on March 16 during the PressExpoUSA @ CeBIT 2007 event.

Source: SanDisk Corporation

Seagate Ships 160GB 7200-RPM Notebook Hard Drive With Free-Fall Protection

Seagate Technology announced the worldwide distribution channel availability of the world's first 7200-RPM notebook PC hard drive to combine perpendicular recording technology with free-fall protection. Seagate's newest Momentus hard drive is also shipping to a major original equipment manufacturer.

Momentus 7200.2 delivers up to 160GB of capacity using perpendicular recording technology and combines a fast Serial ATA 3.0 Gbit/second interface with 7200-RPM spin speed. The hard drive is also offered with an optional free-fall sensor to help prevent drive damage and data loss upon impact if a laptop PC is dropped. The sensor works by detecting any changes in acceleration equal to the force of gravity, then parking the head off the disc to prevent contact with the platter in a free fall of as little as 8 inches.

Momentus 7200.2, Seagate's second-generation 7200-RPM notebook drive, is designed for a wide range of systems including mainstream notebook PCs, workstations, RAID enclosures, and small form factor desktop PCs. Offered in 80GB, 100GB, 120GB and 160GB capacities, the 2.5-inch drive also is perfect for users looking to upgrade their notebooks.

The entire Momentus series is built tough to withstand up to 900 Gs of non-operating shock and 350 Gs of operating shock to protect drive data, making them ideal for systems that are subject to rough handling or high levels of vibration. The hard drives are also lean on power consumption, allowing notebook users to work longer between battery charges, and are virtually inaudible thanks to Seagate's SoftSonic fluid-dynamic bearing motors and QuietStep ramp load technology.

Source: Seagate Technology

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