Hitachi Releases Slim Hard Drive with Video Streaming

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies has introduced a 2.5-inch hard drive with several features that company executives predict will make it a leading contender in several segments of the notebook market, as well as the consumer electronics market.

The 4,200 rpm Hitachi Travelstar 4K120 hard drive uses new technology developed by Hitachi that makes power consumption more efficient.

Called Hivert (Hitachi Voltage Efficiency Regulator), the technology improves power efficiency by as much as 30 percent, extending battery life by up to 20 minutes for an average workload and increasing the service life of the drive itself, said Becky Smith, vice president of strategy and marketing at the San Jose, Calif., company.

Smith said the extended battery life feature would particularly appeal to “road warriors,” who value extended battery life.

With the Travelstar 4K120, Hitachi also is targeting developers of slim notebooks in Japan, as well as in emerging markets like India, China and Russia.

Because the drive uses less power, heat dissipates more quickly, making it idea for slim notebooks, she said.

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“They want something slim and sleek, which means they need [technology] where the power efficiency and heat dissipation are good,” she said. “If its slim and you have a hot drive, it will be very uncomfortable.”

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In addition to targeting road warriors and slim-notebook manufacturers, Hitachi is aiming the Travelstar 4K120 at the emerging market for small DVRs (Digital Video Recorders), which also can benefit from the cooler hard drives.

“It wont require a fan, which is a big deal for the emerging segment of slim DVR,” she said.

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