Deskstar
| Company type | Product line |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer storage |
| Predecessor | IBM hard drive division |
| Founded | October 1994 |
| Founder | IBM |
| Fate | Brand discontinued by 2018 |
| Successor | HGST Deskstar (under Hitachi), then Western Digital ownership |
| Products | Hard disk drives |
Deskstar represents a line of computer hard disk drives originally introduced by IBM in October 1994. In 2003, Hitachi took over IBM's hard drive division, rebranding it as Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. Later, Western Digital acquired HGST in 2012 and continued the series under the name HGST Deskstar until the brand was gradually discontinued by 2018.
The initial IBM Deskstar model was the DALA-3540, featuring a storage capacity of 541 MB; the final IBM release in this series was the 180GXP. After the acquisition, HGST preserved the Deskstar lineup, briefly marketing the 120GXP and 180GXP models before launching new versions.
The IBM Deskstar 75GXP became infamous due to its reliability problems, earning the derogatory nickname "Deathstar."
Products
A range of Deskstar drives produced first by IBM and subsequently by HGST under Hitachi’s ownership:
HGST models under WD management
At the time Western Digital acquired HGST, nine Deskstar models remained in production and were continued in sales. The Deskstar 7K1000.C stands as the final model introduced by HGST.
IBM Deskstar 75GXP reliability issues
The IBM Deskstar 75GXP series—which comprised six variants with capacities ranging from 15 to 75 GB—became notorious around 2001 for elevated failure rates. This led to its derisive label "Deathstar," significantly harming IBM’s reputation. In fact, these drives were ranked 18th on PC World's list of the "Worst Tech Products of All Time" in 2006. It is important to note that the IBM Deskstar 40GV, a slower 5400 RPM version related to the 75GXP, did not exhibit similar failure problems.
Legal action
In October 2001, Michael T. Granito, Jr. initiated a class-action lawsuit against IBM citing defects that caused premature failures of the 75GXP drives within their three-year warranty period. The case was settled in 2005 without IBM admitting liability; as part of the settlement, affected users received $100 compensation for failed Deskstar 75GXP units. The settlement specifically covered certain models within the Deskstar 75GXP family but excluded the Deskstar 40GV.
Technical background
Failures were primarily due to frequent head crashes caused by detachment and shedding of the magnetic coating from the platters, which produced dust particles leading to crashes across extensive platter surfaces. This problem was predominantly linked to using GMR heads on glass platters measuring 3.5 inches.
A firmware update implemented wear levelling techniques to prevent read/write heads from lingering excessively over one spot, thereby lowering head crash risk. Additionally, this update addressed potential data corruption issues related to background operations managed by S.M.A.R.T..
Consequences
In response to these issues and following legal proceedings, IBM released new products including the Deskstar 120GXP and Travelstar models 60GH and 40GN on November 7, 2001. Documentation for Deskstar drives was updated to specify a rating of 333 power-on hours per month (approximately 45% duty cycle), which led to speculation about legal influence; however, IBM clarified that this rating was not newly introduced.
See also
External links
- Official HGST Deskstar Page
- IBM Deskstar 75GXP Class Action Website via Internet Archive
- Analysis of failed Deathstar Demonstrating loss of recording layer on glass platters