I have a 150 GB Seagate external drive that has performed just fine. I held them in good regard and considered them a first choice, until recent incidents such

I have a 150 GB Seagate external drive that has performed just fine. I held them in good regard and considered them a first choice, until recent incidents such as "the click of death" accumulated to cause me concern. I'd really be tempted by this new line of hybrid notebook drives, particularly to extend the effective lifespan of some older notebooks I and friends and family have. But I would like to know that they've taken good measures to eliminate the underlying conditions that allowed for some of the recent problems to enter into and persist in shipping products. I take your point with regard to the particular situation you describe. I have similar "relationships" with a few companies; they may be "sliced bread" these days, but they screwed me, once, and I'm still voting with my feet. I'm not a zealot. I had some unfortunate experiences with Ford products, but I still drive one (the best option at the time of purchase) and would pick Ford over the other U.S. brands. (Still, if I ever find the engineers and/or quality control who allowed unground, sharp metal edges on my driver's seat frame to destroy the seat's foam and support, for example...)