Hitachi announced this week that it has begun shipments of its fourth-generation
7,200 RPM mobile hard drive, the Travelstar 7K320. According to Hitachi's claims, this new 320GB hard drive is not only 12% faster than
its predecessor, it uses 22% less power.
Continuing its longstanding tradition of delivering superior performance with no
sacrifices required, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (Hitachi GST) today began shipment of its fourth-generation 7,200 RPM mobile
hard drive, the Travelstar 7K320. The new drive delivers 60 percent higher capacity than its predecessor, while improving application
performance by 12 percent and power consumption by 22 percent. The drive's quiet acoustics improve the experience of watching movies or
listening to music on a notebook PC. The 2.5-inch drive is offered with optional Bulk Data Encryption for users wanting increased data
security. Hitachi also plans to ship enhanced-availability (EA) models, designed to provide high-capacity storage for low-duty-cycle,
24x7 applications.
The performance attributes of the Travelstar 7K320 allow consumers to opt for a full-featured notebook or
compact desktop model, while still achieving all the capacity and performance typically associated with a more traditional desktop PC.
The new drives bring forth a number of essential features that are in strong demand from manufacturers of notebooks, compact desktops,
gaming systems, blade servers and video surveillance systems. Some of these attributes include best-in-class operating shock protection
of 400Gs, 5,400 RPM-equivalent power consumption and quiet acoustics.
The Travelstar 7K320 is shipping now and is
expected to cost around $220. If you'd like to read more, Hitachi's entire press release can be found here.
