Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!wuarchive!psuvax1!rutgers!cmcl2!panix!alexis
From: alexis@panix.UUCP (Alexis Rosen)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: LaCie switching to HP drives (600MB size)
Message-ID: <316@panix.UUCP>
Date: 5 Nov 89 01:38:23 GMT
References: <6198@merlin.usc.edu>
Reply-To: alexis@panix.UUCP (Alexis Rosen)
Organization: PANIX - Public Access Computer Systems of NY
Lines: 23

In article <6198@merlin.usc.edu> malczews@girtab.usc.edu (Frank Malczewski) writes:
>LaCie, as part of its switch to 5-year warranties, is switching over from the 
>Seagate/CDC Imprimis line to HP (600MB) and Maxtor (others).  I am somewhat
>interested in the HP drive (although it is nearly as expensive as LaCie's
>Imprimis-based drive of the same size).
>
>So, are the HP drives faster (by faster, I mean not as compared the the Wren
>Runners, but to Imprimis 600 MB drives)?  Are they as good quality-wise?
>Oh, and by faster, this means throughput (not access time).

You did not specify the HP mechanism being used, but I know that HP makes a
high capacity drive which spins faster than 3600rpm. (I seem to recall a
figure of 4000 or 4100 rpm). If they are using this mechanism, the transfer
rate is going to be a bit faster at the head-platter interface, but whether
you actually see a performance improvement will depend on the efficiency 
of HP's controller. The increased rpm also cuts the rotational latency,
which will speed things up a little. Don't forget that their drivers will
make a big difference, too.

In short, the only way you'll find out is by running some benchmarks.

Alexis Rosen
alexis@panix.uucp