We knew this hard drive was coming, but the info we had suggested that it was going to make a CES debut. No matter, the 7mm thin Seagate Momentus hard drive is official and Seagate is calling it the thinnest in the world. In the world!
The technical specs that leaked early all seem right on. The 8MB, SATA drive will come in either 250GB and 160GB flavors and spins at 5400RPM. The new drive joins the rest of the Momentus line up, which now seem downright fat at 9.5mm high. Expect OEMs and integrator partners to get access to the new addition in January. The rest of us will have to wait a bit longer.
SEAGATE UNVEILS WORLD’S THINNEST 2.5-INCH HARD DRIVE
FOR SLIM LAPTOP COMPUTERS
SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. — December 14, 2009 — Seagate Technology (NASDAQ:STX) today announced the Momentus® Thin drive, the world’s thinnest 2.5-inch hard disk drive for ultra-portable and entry-level laptops, high-end netbooks, backup devices and consumer electronics. At a wafer-thin 7mm in height – 25 percent slimmer than traditional 9.5mm 2.5-inch laptop hard drives – the Momentus Thin drive gives original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and system integrators significantly lower cost-per-gigabyte storage than solid state and 1.8-inch drives, enabling a new breed of entry-level thin laptops.
Of all netbook computers available today, 90 percent feature 9.5mm 2.5-inch laptop drives because solid state and 1.8-inch hard drives are largely cost-prohibitive for this market. The Momentus Thin drive provides the lowest-cost storage for netbooks and thin laptops, enabling computer makers to offer systems that reach a broader market.
“The Momentus® Thin drive promises to help computer makers differentiate on mobile-computing form factor and better compete in the fast-growing markets for thin laptop PCs and netbooks,” said Dave Mosley, executive vice president of Sales, Marketing and Product Line Management at Seagate. “Seagate is committed to helping its OEM and system integrator partners meet market demand for thinner laptop PCs and plans to expand storage capabilities for thin laptops as demand for these slimmer models continues to grow.”
The Momentus Thin drive rivals traditional 2.5-inch laptop drives in performance and power-efficiency, enabling thin-chassis designs in all segments of notebook computing and allowing OEMs both to design in greater value on high-end netbooks for easier upselling and to create a wider value differentiation between consumer and commercial laptop PCs. The Momentus Thin drive features two capacity points – 250GB and 160GB – an 8MB cache, a Serial ATA 3Gb/second interface and a 5400RPM spin speed. The drive is scheduled to ship to Seagate’s OEM and integrator partners in January 2010.