Seagate debuts 50GB drive

Seagate has announced its latest Cheetah and Barracuda hard drives, which offer data capacities of up to 50GB and data transfer rates of up to 28MBps. The Cheetah 18LP and Cheetah 36 provide 18GB or 9GB and 36GB of storage, respectively. Both fit the 3.5in form factor, but the 18LP comes in slimline casing. Spining at 10,000rpm, both drives offer sustained data throughputs of up to 28MBps. The two new Cheetahs also feature Seagate's new Just in Time seek technology, designed to provide faster access with less noise and power consumption. The 7200rpm Barracuda family now includes the 18LP, 36 and 50 models focusing on capacity rather than raw data access performance. Like the Cheetahs, the Barracudas are available in 3.5in units. The three new models offer sustained data transfer rates of up to 25.7MBps. All seven models are available in either Ultra2 SCSI or fibre channel modes. Volume production of the Barracuda 18LP and 36 will begin in later this month -- the 50 is due to begin shipping in March 1999. The Cheetahs will become available a month before that. ® Click for more stories Click for story index