Seagate Ships 160GB Notebook Hard Drive with Perpendicular Recording

Alienware Dual-Drive System Sets Laptop Storage Record

How did Seagate Technology squeeze a new-record 160GB of capacity onto a 2.5-inch notebook PC hard disk? The Momentus 5400.3 is the company's first laptop drive that uses perpendicular recording -- data bits that stand up instead of lying down on the platter -- to deliver areal density of 132 gigabits per square inch.

Designed to withstand up to 350Gs of operating or 900Gs of nonoperating shock, the Momentus is a 5,400-rpm drive designed to provide the laptop-battery-life efficiency of 4,200-rpm hard disks. Ultra ATA 100 versions are shipping now, with 1.5Gb/sec Serial ATA models due later this year. Seagate says it will add perpendicular recording technology to the 7,200-rpm Momentus line and to all of its 1- and 3.5-inch products.

High-end PC maker Alienware has announced new Sentia M3200, Area-51 M5500, and Area-51 M7700 portables available with the Momentus 5400.3 drive. The M7700 model can be configured with two drives for a total 320GB of storage, the most offered to date in a mobile PC.