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Decision at 250 GB: Maxtor MaXLine Plus II vs. Western Digital WD2500JB
Hard drive80-pin ribbon cableScrewsUltraATA/100-Controller (Promise Ultra100 TX2)Driver/ disk manager
MTBF / MTTF
">" 1,000,000 hrs
?
Warranty
3 years
3 years
When you compare them directly, it becomes apparent that the specifications of the Maxtor drive lie somewhat above those of the WD drive. The interface offers more (theoretical) potential, and the reliability claims are also marginally higher. Here, it is fitting that the write transfer rate is lower: it seems as if the write cache function is not as intensely used, and that safety is the top priority.
By contrast, Western Digital wants to offer a drive that can be used in any computer with its WD2500; thus, they include a generous bundle of accessories, including installation materials, a controller and disk management software. The Ultra ATA/100 interface is by no means inferior to the faster interface of the MaXLine drive. It's completely acceptable.
Patrick Schmid was the editor-in-chief for Tom's Hardware from 2005 to 2006. He wrote numerous articles on a wide range of hardware topics, including storage, CPUs, and system builds.
