Hard Drive Protection

IBM recently unveiled a completely updated line of ThinkPad notebook computers, including new ThinkPad R50 and T41 models (prices start at $1529) that include the world's first automatic hard drive protection technology.

Because smaller, lighter, and more mobile systems are at a continual risk of being dropped and damaged, IBM developed a patent-pending hard drive protection technology to help protect people's data. The IBM Active Protection System, similar to the technology used in automobiles to deploy airbags upon impact, uses a microchip on the system board to detect system acceleration (such as in a fall). The system responds by temporarily parking the drive's read/write head until the system is stabilized. This rapid response can help prevent hard drive crashes that could occur in some falls, to help prevent total data loss and reduce warranty costs.

Some insurance and analyst reports indicate that more than 10.5 percent of notebooks in a corporate enterprise are damaged annually, and that accidental damage accounts for the majority of PC loss claims. Of the three notebook components most prone to damage -- hard drive, display, and keyboard -- hard drive damage results in the loss of valuable information and productivity.

"Applying this life-saving technology to personal computing is revolutionary. If you're rushing to finish a report in an airport and you accidentally drop your notebook, with any other machine you'd face a greater potential for losing all your data," said Peter Hortensius, vice president, Think Offerings, IBM Personal Computing Division. "IBM is committed to providing our customers with the most reliable notebooks in the industry."

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