Seagate Momentus 5400.4 250GB

INTRUDUCTION

Seagate blessed Bjorn3D this week with their newest and largest 2.5 inch hard drive, the Momentus 5400.4 RPM 250GB (3.0Gb/s). First impressions out of the box left me thinking it was going to be much slower than a 7200 RPM hard drive. Boy was I wrong. Way wrong. I noticed that the interface was faster than the 7200 RPM but I wasn't sure how the RPM differences and interface differences would scale out. The Momentus 250GB hard drive is faster and is as quiet as the hard drive in my Dell Latitude 820 (TravelStar 7200 RPM 80GB 1.5Gb/s). These facts, and the 5 year warranty Seagate provides, make this a great buy if you are looking for a new drive.

People that want more performance out of their systems, including laptops, generally skip thinking about the hard drive as an option. Laptop users have so many limitations as to what they can do to bump up the speed of the computer. They could add memory, maybe change the video card, depending on what laptop you buy, and maybe even buy a new processor. Now, they can add a hard drive to the list.  Here is a little information on Seagate that will help you understand their focus.

Platforming and Vertical Integration—Streamlining the Process

As the leader in the industry, Seagate has focused on building business efficiencies, such as platforming and vertical integration, that give the company a competitive edge. Platforming has helped Seagate deliver a comprehensive product portfolio by allowing the company to apply one core technology platform to create multiple products. The company has applied the platforming concept to the manufacturing process, allowing Seagate to manufacture 1-inch, 1.8-inch, 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch hard drives on the same factory line to further increase efficiencies and improve product quality and margins.

Vertical integration also plays a large role in streamlining the design and development process. Seagate designs, owns and manufactures all of the core technologies needed to develop individual storage products, including heads, media, motors and printed circuit boards. Without reliance on third parties to supply components, the company has complete control of its entire development process and product roadmap—from component supply to technology improvements.  As a result, product quality, margins and time to market are vastly improved—enabling Seagate to quickly meet the quality, reliability and supply demands of its customers.

Seagate Technology has been at the forefront of the storage industry for more than 25 years. With corporate offices in Scotts Valley, California, Seagate employs more than 56,000 people around the world—all contributing to the development of the company’s next-generation storage products. From the first 5.25-inch hard drive for the PC to the development of perpendicular recording technology, the company has been pioneering new industry standards that have fueled advancements in the digital information age. Through technology leadership and innovation, Seagate continues to help individuals and businesses maximize the potential of their digital content in an ever-evolving, on-demand world.