Any comparative test must also include a representative sampling from the establishment. In this case, we took Toshiba's top model, boasting 80 GB, 4,200 rpm, and a cache of 8 MB. Japanese manufacturers have been active in the mobile market for many years, with an estimated market share of 30%. However, their lead is in 1.8" drives, even if Hitachi has broadened its product lines this year with a vengeance.

Toshiba has been selling 5,400 rpm drives for a while now, which were known for their optional 16 MB cache (MK6022-GAX).

The MK8025GAS requires the least power - and, not surprisingly, delivers the lowest overall performance. However, maximum data densities are not easily reconciled with high turning speeds. This means that the models with the highest capacities in the notebook sector are not necessarily the fastest - as this article demonstrates. It also means that if you need a drive with more than 60 GB, you'll inevitably end up with 4,200 rpm.