Based on the speeds of the three test drives, the benchmark results clearly meet expectations. Although high data densities of up to 40 GB per platter can now be reached with a 4,200 rpm turn rate, performance will lag.

Seagate's Momentus scored well, in general. As a newcomer to the notebook market, it performed wonders. Its access time and minimal data-transfer rates were not far behind those of the Hitachi Travelstar 7K60.

The latter also dominated every benchmark. With almost 40 GB/s of capacity, it certainly poses a challenge to the average desktop drive running at 5,400 rpm.

The high efficiency of these drives is also not to be discounted. If maximum performance alone is key, SCSI is definitely the choice. A desktop hard drive in a 3.5" format with an ATA interface is needed for anyone seeking lots of cheap storage capacity. But while space requirements, dissipated heat, or power consumption remain an issue, 2.5" drives are still required.

Set-top boxes, DVD recorders with time-shifting functions, car hi-fi systems, notebooks, tablet PCs, web servers: the list of possible uses is enormous. That's why the demand for 2.5" drives will grow. And certainly so will the offers. We can't wait.