Designers are trying to pack more storage into compact hard disks like Seagate's 2.5-in. Momentus 5400.3 line. The latest version can deliver up to 160Gbytes of storage courtesy of Seagate's perpendicular recording technology (see the Figure).
The Momentus 5400.3 line operates at 5400 rpm. A faster 7200-rpm version is available, but the 160-Gbyte capacity will not be available until later in 2007. An optional encrypted version is also available. This must be used with a compatible security BIOS.
The Momentus is available with IDE and SATA interfaces. We use a SATA version for the Car PC project. The drives have an operating temperature of 0° to 60°C and a non-operating range of -40° to 70°C. The latter is critical for automotive use.
The drives are very quiet. In idle they generate less than 2.3 bels. The drives can handle shocks up to 350 G.
The 160-Gbyte Momentus 5400.3 offers a significant amount of storage that can handle a number of DVDs worth of space. It also provides a more rugged storage medium than CDs or DVDs would.
www.seagate.com