[TSullivan]

This past spring Seagate started shipping the 3TB Barracuda XT (review) which was a pretty solid offering. Seagate quickly followed up that release with an announcement that a new 3TB Barracuda XT would feature three 1TB platters instead of the five 600GB platters seen in the first version. Seagate's about a quarter late in delivering the new 1TB platter technology, but sometimes new technology is better late than never...especially when top line sequential read and write speeds top 190 MB/s, an improvement thanks to the new platters of 30%.

Seagate Barracuda XT 3TB Review (1TB Platters - ST3000DM001)

[ChrisMcPole]

With 1TB WD black drives jumping in price from $75 to $200+ in two weeks, it's scary to imagine how much this one will cost now.

[[ETA]MrSpadge]

Yeah, current prices are totally through the roof. However, I think "whets our appetite" fits pretty much here. I can only wonder what WD could do with 1 TB platters. That could finally be a worthy upgrade to my WD640 Blue.. especially since it's constantly filled

MrS

[Brian]

Yeah, it's hard to take the pricing too seriously right now, as MrS says, we'll use this time to reflect on the hard drive we want to buy in 6-9 months when things are normal again

[ChrisMcPole]

If prices of +200% keep up for more than 5 months, there is no way WD will survive 2012. Let alone the fact the WD can already forget about getting the deal approved by the EU commission on Nov. 30th.

[Brian]

I don't think the prices or their flooding problems will have any impact on the EU deal. WDC has agreed to concessions from what I can tell that will make the EU happy.

[fallbreak]

I read the XT is now for the hybrid version, yet to be released.
Means the product you have reviewed should not have the XT label.
Can you correct that?

[ChrisMcPole]

Brian, on 01 November 2011 - 10:14 AM, said:

I don't think the prices or their flooding problems will have any impact on the EU deal. WDC has agreed to concessions from what I can tell that will make the EU happy.

I doubt that. >200% price spike (which is nothing but artificial, considering old stock, and only 20% shortage) is just a little glimpse of what to come if the industry has only two players left. There is no reason for them not to prolong the 'shortage'. They've been dreaming about such opportunity for years. But we will see. I can't imagine the merger to be approved in such conditions, at least not until WD clean ups the mess and prices go back to where they belong.

[Brian]

fallbreak, on 01 November 2011 - 10:55 AM, said:

I read the XT is now for the hybrid version, yet to be released.
Means the product you have reviewed should not have the XT label.
Can you correct that?

That is not right, the hybrid will carry a different name, possibly Barracuda XTH or some such. Seagate hasn't updated us as to what the branding switch will look like.

[Brian]

ChrisMcPole, on 01 November 2011 - 11:16 AM, said:

I doubt that. >200% price spike (which is nothing but artificial, considering old stock, and only 20% shortage) is just a little glimpse of what to come if the industry has only two players left. There is no reason for them not to prolong the 'shortage'. They've been dreaming about such opportunity for years. But we will see. I can't imagine the merger to be approved in such conditions, at least not until WD clean ups the mess and prices go back to where they belong.

There is no old stock, WDC said they had under 2 weeks inventory at the time of the flood. And 20% shortage? Did you read our piece on this? We're looking at 50% shortage or more in just this quarter.