Ultrastar 15K73

SAN JOSE, www.hgst.com, January 6, 2003 - Hitachi Global Storage Technologies today introduced its third-generation, high-end enterprise hard disk drive - the 15,000 RPM Hitachi Ultrastar 15K73.

Hitachi's newest product is a high-performance, high-reliability server-class hard disk drive, designed to excel in today's demanding data-processing environments. The 3.5-inch drive comes in a top capacity of 73 GB in an industry standard 1-inch hard disk drive "z" height.

Hitachi is able to achieve an areal density of 31 billion bits per square inch on the new Ultrastar through a combination of antiferromagnetically coupled (AFC) media and fluid dynamic bearing motors (FDB). The 15K73 is the industry's first 15K RPM hard drive to implement AFC media. AFC enables high areal densities by improving thermal stability which maintains data intregrity. FDB also contributes to increased capacity by enabling high track density through a more precise positioning of the head.

The new Ultrastar provides customers with an elite enterprise storage solution that meets today's performance needs, yet is able to maintain a low power consumption level of 12 watts (SCSI) -- well within today's standards.

The Ultrastar 15K73 enables Hitachi to continue its technical edge in today's competitive landscape, while providing manufacturers the ability to construct more powerful storage systems. The Ultrastar 15K73 will be available in both Ultra 320 SCSI and 2 Gb FCAL interfaces in the first quarter of 2003.

"Hitachi brings a much needed high-end storage alternative to customers with the new Ultrastar," said Dr. Fumio Kugiya, general manager, Server HDD Business Unit, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. "The Ultrastar 15K73 represents an excellent solution for today's demanding applications such as SANs, NAS, RAID, data mining, audio-visual, server and other high-end applications."

The new drive's maximum sustained data transfer rate of 77.2 Mbytes/sec, combined with the high rotational speed, allows customers to access data more quickly and efficiently.

The Ultrastar 15K73 is available in both 36 and 73 GB capacities. The drive's 1.2 million-MTBF specification meets the industry expectation for high reliability.

Technical Specifications
Ultrastar 15K73
73.9, 36.9 GB
1" in height
15,037 rpm
31 billion bits per square inch maximum areal density
5/3 glass disk platter(s)
10/5 GMR recording head(s)
250 G/2ms non-operating shock,
15 G/11ms operating shock
2 ms average latency
3.9 ms average seek time
960 Mbits/sec maximum internal transfer rate
77.2 Mbytes/sec maximum sustained data transfer rate
Ultra 320 SCSI and 2 Gb FCAL
690 weight in grams(Maximum)
3.6 Bels typical idle acoustics
4.2 Bels typical operating acoustics

About Hitachi Global Storage Technologies
Hitachi Global Storage Technologies was founded in 2003 as a result of the strategic combination of IBM and Hitachi's storage technology businesses. The company's vision is to enable users to fully engage in the digital lifestyle by providing access to large amounts of storage capacity in formats suitable for the office, on the road and in the home.

The company offers customers worldwide a comprehensive range of storage products for desktop computers, high-performance servers and mobile devices. For more information on Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, please visit the company's Web site at http://www.hgst.com.

About Hitachi, Ltd.
Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company, with approximately 320,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2001 (ended March 31, 2002) consolidated sales totaled 7,994 billion yen ($60.1 billion). The company offers a wide range of systems, products and services in market sectors, including information systems, electronic devices, power and industrial systems, consumer products, materials and financial services. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company' s Web site at http://global.hitachi.com.