Pundits have been writing the epitaph for the hard disk drive in laptops thanks to the arrival of flash memory chips in solid state drives. But Seagate insists that the hard disk isn't dead yet.
Today, the world's biggest storage company is announcing its fastest 2.5-inch hard disk drive for laptop computers. The drive is 40 percent faster than traditional notebook drives but is a fraction of the cost of flash memory.
In part, the new Seagate device is a hybrid of flash memory and hard disk technology. The Seagate Momentus XT drive uses Adaptive memory, a new Seagate technology that moves frequently used information into flash memory for faster access. The Momentus XT combines a 7200 RPM spin speed for its disk with 4 gigabits of flash memory.
Solid state drives with flash memory only cost several hundred dollars more than standard laptop hard drives with the same storage capacity. Customers using the new drive include Asus. This development shows that you can never write off the hard disk. After many years of attempts, the flash memory chips haven't knocked out the older hard drive technology yet.
Seagate is based in Scotts Valley, Calif.