Maxtor L01P160 7200 RPM 160 GB Internal Hard Drive

Got this drive to stuff into my computer so I'd have enough storage space for my new video editing hobby. Installation was a snap, although people with older computers/operating systems might need a separate ATA/133 controller to take advantage of the full capacity/speed of the drive. Once I remembered how to pop the cover off my computer, I had the drive in and my system up in about 15 minutes (with 5 spent removing a CD drive).

The included manual covers installation pretty well, and lists requirements for Windows and Mac systems. All the hardware needed for installation is included (screws, IDE ribbon cable), although if you're mounting in a 5 1/4" bay, you'll need a mounting bracket if you don't already have one. An included CD contains installation software and hard drive utilities that let you partition your drive and perform disk to disk copies. The software also lets you create backup copies of the MBR (Master Boot Record) for safe keeping.

Formatted capacity is...Read more

Wait until you have problems with a Maxtor drive. Their tech support is lousy and their customer service is even worse. Forget their warranty, you can do better with Western Digital, Seagate or Hitachi.

So far everything has worked right. This was the first time I installed a new hard drive. I used the instruction manual from Sony for my VAIO Digital Studio computer I got in '01. The Manual was available online. I followed Sony's instructions, and used the Windows XP Utility from the Computer Management Link on my computer, and although it took near an hour to format, it works, too early to say how well, but all appears to be operating in acceptible parameters. Only complaint is occasional noises of the spindle moving. Not sure whether this is normal. It is louder than the 60G original hard drive(master), but with this drive's sheer size, the occasional noise seems to be normal. So far so good. [Two Months Later]This hard drive has perfomed very well; the spindle noise has left , and the access time is incredibly fast. Highly recommeded.