Western Digital's new family of cool-running HDs

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

Timothy Daniels wrote:
> http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041220/lam049_1.html
>
> Next-generation WD Caviar(R) Hard Drives Feature WhisperDrive(TM) and
> SoftSeek(TM) Technologies and Run Cooler, Quieter and Faster
>
> WD claims lower temps due to lower power consumption => better reliability
>
> *TimDaniels*

It's a bit hard to evaluate that claim without any spec reflecting it.

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Previously CJT <abujlehc@prodigy.net> wrote:
> Timothy Daniels wrote:
>> http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041220/lam049_1.html
>>
>> Next-generation WD Caviar(R) Hard Drives Feature WhisperDrive(TM) and
>> SoftSeek(TM) Technologies and Run Cooler, Quieter and Faster
>>
>> WD claims lower temps due to lower power consumption => better reliability
>>
>> *TimDaniels*

> It's a bit hard to evaluate that claim without any spec reflecting it.

There are some specs on WDs homepage. They claim < 10W doing R/W.
Normal is around 15W, so there seems to be some improvement. However
the specs seem to be non-final, since the idle-power consumption is
higher (or was when I looked) than the power consumption during R/W
access.

Arno
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Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

On Thu, 23 Dec 2004 08:28:08 GMT, CJT <abujlehc@prodigy.net> wrote:

>> WD claims lower temps due to lower power consumption => better reliability
>>
>> *TimDaniels*
>
>It's a bit hard to evaluate that claim without any spec reflecting it.

Just like I can claim to invent a new design of car engine that can go
for oh about 1,000 miles per gallon and still can pull 60 foot trailer
even uphill. Or a computer that can operate at 1 THz (that's 1,000
GHz) without a need for a fan or cooling system.

Specs means nothing without an actual product to test with.
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Impmon wrote:
> On Thu, 23 Dec 2004 08:28:08 GMT, CJT <abujlehc@prodigy.net> wrote:
>
>
>>>WD claims lower temps due to lower power consumption => better reliability
>>>
>>>*TimDaniels*
>>
>>It's a bit hard to evaluate that claim without any spec reflecting it.
>
>
> Just like I can claim to invent a new design of car engine that can go
> for oh about 1,000 miles per gallon and still can pull 60 foot trailer
> even uphill. Or a computer that can operate at 1 THz (that's 1,000
> GHz) without a need for a fan or cooling system.
>
> Specs means nothing without an actual product to test with.

Reputable companies stand behind their specs. To do otherwise could
result in a claim of false advertising, and some mighty bad press.

But disk manufacturers (particularly WD and Maxtor) seem to be shying
away from publishing specs (at least on their Web sites); I think
there's a story there. I searched the WD site for any quantification
of their "low power" claim for that new drive and found nothing. I also
recently searched Maxtor's site for sustained transfer rates on the
Diamondmax Plus 9 series and, again, found nothing.

So I'm suspicious.

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Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

Previously CJT <abujlehc@prodigy.net> wrote:
> Impmon wrote:
>> On Thu, 23 Dec 2004 08:28:08 GMT, CJT <abujlehc@prodigy.net> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>>WD claims lower temps due to lower power consumption => better reliability
>>>>
>>>>*TimDaniels*
>>>
>>>It's a bit hard to evaluate that claim without any spec reflecting it.
>>
>>
>> Just like I can claim to invent a new design of car engine that can go
>> for oh about 1,000 miles per gallon and still can pull 60 foot trailer
>> even uphill. Or a computer that can operate at 1 THz (that's 1,000
>> GHz) without a need for a fan or cooling system.
>>
>> Specs means nothing without an actual product to test with.

> Reputable companies stand behind their specs. To do otherwise could
> result in a claim of false advertising, and some mighty bad press.

> But disk manufacturers (particularly WD and Maxtor) seem to be shying
> away from publishing specs (at least on their Web sites);

Oh? So far I found full technical manuals (with pretty complete
specs) on all Maxtor drives I have.

> I think
> there's a story there. I searched the WD site for any quantification
> of their "low power" claim for that new drive and found nothing. I also
> recently searched Maxtor's site for sustained transfer rates on the
> Diamondmax Plus 9 series and, again, found nothing.

Have you looked into the drive family manual? It is here:
http://www.maxtor.com/_files/maxtor/en_us/documentation...

> So I'm suspicious.

Until I see the full spec and some independent reviews, I reserve
judgement. I think suspicion is premature.

Arno
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Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

Arno Wagner wrote:
> Previously CJT <abujlehc@prodigy.net> wrote:
>
>>Impmon wrote:
>>
>>>On Thu, 23 Dec 2004 08:28:08 GMT, CJT <abujlehc@prodigy.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>>WD claims lower temps due to lower power consumption => better reliability
>>>>>
>>>>>*TimDaniels*
>>>>
>>>>It's a bit hard to evaluate that claim without any spec reflecting it.
>>>
>>>
>>>Just like I can claim to invent a new design of car engine that can go
>>>for oh about 1,000 miles per gallon and still can pull 60 foot trailer
>>>even uphill. Or a computer that can operate at 1 THz (that's 1,000
>>>GHz) without a need for a fan or cooling system.
>>>
>>>Specs means nothing without an actual product to test with.
>
>
>>Reputable companies stand behind their specs. To do otherwise could
>>result in a claim of false advertising, and some mighty bad press.
>
>
>>But disk manufacturers (particularly WD and Maxtor) seem to be shying
>>away from publishing specs (at least on their Web sites);
>
>
> Oh? So far I found full technical manuals (with pretty complete
> specs) on all Maxtor drives I have.
>
>
>>I think
>>there's a story there. I searched the WD site for any quantification
>>of their "low power" claim for that new drive and found nothing. I also
>>recently searched Maxtor's site for sustained transfer rates on the
>>Diamondmax Plus 9 series and, again, found nothing.
>
>
> Have you looked into the drive family manual? It is here:
> http://www.maxtor.com/_files/maxtor/en_us/documentation...
>

That does indeed seem to have the salient information.

I wonder why it didn't show up in any of the searches I did at their site.

>
>>So I'm suspicious.
>
>
> Until I see the full spec and some independent reviews, I reserve
> judgement. I think suspicion is premature.
>

Fair enough.

> Arno


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Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

"CJT" <abujlehc@prodigy.net> wrote in message
news:41CB3356.4050203@prodigy.net...
> Impmon wrote:
>> On Thu, 23 Dec 2004 08:28:08 GMT, CJT <abujlehc@prodigy.net> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>>WD claims lower temps due to lower power consumption => better reliability
>>>>
>>>>*TimDaniels*
>>>
>>>It's a bit hard to evaluate that claim without any spec reflecting it.
>>
>>
>> Just like I can claim to invent a new design of car engine that can go
>> for oh about 1,000 miles per gallon and still can pull 60 foot trailer
>> even uphill. Or a computer that can operate at 1 THz (that's 1,000
>> GHz) without a need for a fan or cooling system.
>>
>> Specs means nothing without an actual product to test with.
>
> Reputable companies stand behind their specs. To do otherwise could
> result in a claim of false advertising, and some mighty bad press.

> But disk manufacturers (particularly WD and Maxtor) seem to be shying away
> from publishing specs (at least on their Web sites); I think there's a story
> there.

The only 'story' is that WD havent bothered with full manuals for years now.

> I searched the WD site for any quantification of their "low power" claim for
> that new drive and found nothing.

http://www.westerndigital.com/en/products/Products.asp?...
the electrical tab

> I also recently searched Maxtor's site for sustained transfer rates on the
> Diamondmax Plus 9 series and, again, found nothing.

Full manuals online, the web site is just a bit strangely organised.

> So I'm suspicious.

Paranoia.

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

Rod Speed wrote:
> "CJT" <abujlehc@prodigy.net> wrote in message
> news:41CB3356.4050203@prodigy.net...
>
>>Impmon wrote:
>>
>>>On Thu, 23 Dec 2004 08:28:08 GMT, CJT <abujlehc@prodigy.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>>WD claims lower temps due to lower power consumption => better reliability
>>>>>
>>>>>*TimDaniels*
>>>>
>>>>It's a bit hard to evaluate that claim without any spec reflecting it.
>>>
>>>
>>>Just like I can claim to invent a new design of car engine that can go
>>>for oh about 1,000 miles per gallon and still can pull 60 foot trailer
>>>even uphill. Or a computer that can operate at 1 THz (that's 1,000
>>>GHz) without a need for a fan or cooling system.
>>>
>>>Specs means nothing without an actual product to test with.
>>
>>Reputable companies stand behind their specs. To do otherwise could
>>result in a claim of false advertising, and some mighty bad press.
>
>
>>But disk manufacturers (particularly WD and Maxtor) seem to be shying away
>>from publishing specs (at least on their Web sites); I think there's a story
>>there.
>
>
> The only 'story' is that WD havent bothered with full manuals for years now.
>
>
>>I searched the WD site for any quantification of their "low power" claim for
>>that new drive and found nothing.
>
>
> http://www.westerndigital.com/en/products/Products.asp?...
> the electrical tab
>

OK. Guess I missed that.

>
>>I also recently searched Maxtor's site for sustained transfer rates on the
>>Diamondmax Plus 9 series and, again, found nothing.
>
>
> Full manuals online, the web site is just a bit strangely organised.
>
>
>>So I'm suspicious.
>
>
> Paranoia.
>
>


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CJT wrote:
> Rod Speed wrote:
>
<snip>
>>
>> http://www.westerndigital.com/en/products/Products.asp?...
>> the electrical tab
>>
>
> OK. Guess I missed that.
>
<snip>

Those numbers don't look very low to me.

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CJT <abujlehc@prodigy.net> wrote in message
news:41CBAE6B.3030702@prodigy.net...
> CJT wrote:
>> Rod Speed wrote:

>>> http://www.westerndigital.com/en/products/Products.asp?...
>>> the electrical tab

>> OK. Guess I missed that.

> Those numbers don't look very low to me.

Me neither. But then I havent been saving that data, so
its quite possible that that data is currently the data before
the most recent change announced in the news item.

I really just meant that they dont hide the data, its just
not completely obvious where it is on their web site.