Conclusion
Both of the two new 7,200 RPM hard drives are capable of delivering storage performance that helps to noticeably reduce the performance gap between desktops and notebooks. In fact, the data transfer performance that Hitachi is able to deliver is pretty impressive, while Seagate put its focus on maximizing I/O performance. From this point of view, the Seagate drive seems to be ideal for server use, while we would rather recommend Hitachi's new TravelStar 7K100 for high-performance notebooks. Yet both drives clearly outperform any other 2.5" ATA hard drive that is on the market today.
Seagate backs its offering with a convincing five year warranty, while Hitachi offers three years. Though we consider three years to be good enough, knowing that the manufacturer will back its product for five years certainly helps the customer to feel really comfortable.
