History 2003: Western Digital Will Go Directly to 120GB Per Disk

Seagate Technology has already made the leap from 80GB to 100GB per 3.5-inch platter.

According to Klaas de Vos, Western Digital’s VP international sales, his firm will jump directly to 120GB, “sometime next year.”

Expanding, he reasoned that “the market is not waiting for 100GB,” adding that Read-Rite, recently acquired by WD, as well as independent head makers TDK and Alps, also intend to jump to 120GB.

Like its competitors, WD is currently working on perpendicular recording, although de Vos believes that remaining with longitudinal technology, it will still be possible to hit 160GB per disk platter.

This article is an abstract of news published on issue 190 on October 2003 from the former paper version of Computer Data Storage Newsletter.