IBM unveils super-quiet mobile drives

Shhh ... it's the new disks from Big Blue

IBM is launching what it claims will be the quietest family of mobile hard disk drives available, featuring faster speeds and higher performance than its previous range.

Announced at CeBIT last week, the entire range of drives will incorporate the company's new Drive Noise Suppression System.

The devices recorded noise levels of 2 to 2.5 bels when idle and 2.7 to 3.5 bels in operation. This makes them quieter while reading and writing than their predecessors were when idle. IBM also boasts improved shock tolerance and hardware reliability.

The Travelstar range is made up of the 48GH, with a 48Gb capacity; the 30GN, available in 30Gb and 20Gb capacities; and the 15GN, available in 15Gb, 10Gb and 6Gb capacities. The drives weigh 155g, 99g and 95g respectively.

The 48GH has a seek time of 5.5ms average latency and a 12ms average seek time. Both the 30GN and the 15GN share a 7.1ms average latency and a 12ms average seek time.

Other standard features include an ATA-100 interface, 5400rpm, glass disk platters, magnet resistive recording heads, and Enhanced Battery Life Extender 3.0 technology. IBM plans to ship the drives in the second quarter of this year but has yet to announce prices.