Seagate's 7200 RPM 160 GB Klutz Proof Notebook Drive

If you’re one of those people who can’t seem to keep from bouncing expensive equipment off the floor, Seagate Technology may have just the laptop drive for you. The company just announced the worldwide distribution channel availability of a 7200 RPM notebook PC hard drive that combines perpendicular recording technology with free-fall protection for beefed-up laptop durability. Seagate’s newest Momentus hard drive is shipping to major original equipment manufacturers. The new drive combines a Serial ATA 3.0 Gbit/second interface with 7200 RPM spin speed. The hard drive is also offered with an optional free-fall sensor to help prevent drive damage and data loss upon impact if a laptop PC is dropped. The sensor works by detecting any changes in acceleration equal to the force of gravity, then parking the head off the disc to prevent contact with the platter in a free fall of as little as 8 inches. Momentus 7200.2, Seagate’s second-generation 7200-RPM notebook drive, is designed for a wide range of systems including mainstream notebook PCs, workstations, RAID enclosures, and small form factor desktop PCs. It’s offered in 80GB, 100GB, 120GB and 160GB capacities. The entire Momentus series is built to withstand up to 900 Gs of non-operating shock and 350 Gs of operating shock to protect drive data, making them a good fit for systems that are subject to rough handling or high levels of vibration. The hard drives are also lean on power consumption, allowing notebook users to work longer between battery charges, and are said to be extremely quiet thanks to Seagate’s SoftSonic fluid-dynamic bearing motors and QuietStep ramp load technology.