[Leaplist] 2.5" disk is taking over: $0.18/GB for 5400, $0.22/GB for 7200 ...

[Bryan J. Smith]

It seems that 2.5" fixed disk is taking over, and may
end up taking over 3.5" fixed disk sooner than I had
previously predicted.  It's already taking over 10k+
because the majority of 10k+ disk has been 2.5-3"
platters for a long time now.  All of the data centers
I've installed in the last 15 months have all been 100%
2.5" fixed disk of 10K or 15Krpm SAS.

ZipZoomFly.COM is selling ...

Hitachi Travelstar 5K320 250GB 5400 for $64.99 - $20 MIR
  http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10009170  

Hitachi Travelstar 7K320 320GB 7200 for $99.99 - $30 MIR
  http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10008894  
  (now sold out)  

That's under $0.18/GB and $0.22/GB, respectively.  And
you can buy up to five (5) of each product under the
rebate.

And before you say the rebates are gimmicks, in the past
6 months alone, I have bought 4 x 5K250 250GB 5400 and
3 x 5K320 320GB 5400 RPM drives from ZipZoomFly.COM with
these Hitachi TravelStar rebates.  Not only did I receive
my rebates of $120 and $90, respectively, but I received
them within a single month (around 3.5-4 weeks turnaround).

Solid buys with a reputable rebate.

I haven't bought a 3.5" disk in over 18 months myself.
I don't see myself ever buying 3.5" disk again at this
rate.  Especially since 2.5" disks have reached 500GB
in a sub-10mm high, 3 platter design at both 5400 and
7200rpm.

Just like 3.5", staying back 1 generation in 2.5" really
produces a great buy.  If prices on 7200rpm 2.5" stays
within $0.05-0.10/GB of 5400rpm 2.5", it's going to be
hare to justify the "savings" of 3.5" 7200rpm when 2.5"
7200rpm is not much more, virtually just as fast, runs
a crapload cooler, and definitely has the far greater
shock and vibration tolerance.

-- 
Bryan J Smith        Professional, Technical Annoyance
b.j.smith at ieee.org  http://www.linkedin.com/in/bjsmith
------------------------------------------------------
I'm a PC, but Linux -- Windows: Life Without Firewalls

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