When the system detects acceleration or deceleration--such as when a ThinkPad is falling--it signals the hard drive to park its magnetic heads. The maneuver holds the heads, which read and write data, in place so they cannot contact the drive platter, where data is stored. This avoids causing damage to the platter, which would result in lost data, IBM said. The company is building the Active Protection System at no extra charge into the two ThinkPads, as it believes the system will help it save on warranty costs. The 4.5-pound ThinkPad T41 starts at about $1,650, while the 6-pound ThinkPad R50 starts at about $1,530, according to IBM.
IBM introduced on Monday two ThinkPad notebooks with an automatic hard drive safeguard. The ThinkPad T41 and ThinkPad R50 include the IBM Active Protection System, a new feature that uses an accelerometer chip and software to help avoid damaging the hard drive when the ThinkPad is dropped or falls.
SponsoredWhite Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads
- Live Webcast: Mobile Tools for Competitive Advantage PC Connection
- Streamline IT Operations and Drive Innovation Across Your Company SAP
- Improving Decision Making Through Enterprise Information Management SAP
Talkback
Essential Topics 
Premier Vendor Content Whitepapers, webcasts & resources from our Power Center Sponsors
- Video Podcast: Evaluating 2- and 4-Socket Server Virtualization Platforms
-
In this video we hear from Sudip Chahal, Principal Engineer with the Intel IT Enterprise Architecture Group, talking about a new white paper from IT@Intel, "Evaluating Two- and Four-Socket Server Virtualization Platforms."
- See how different servers would perform in a variety of virtualization scenarios >>
IP Networking
- Anywhere, anytime productivity isn’t just for cyber-geeks and overachievers. It’s the state of business today, made possible through integrated wired and wireless networks, secure remote access, and advanced mobile applications and devices. Your users have what they need; do you?
- From our sponsors
-
IT Solutions
-
- AT&T IP Networking for your IT needs With AT&T IP Networking, you get flexible solutions designed specifically for your company’s IT needs Learn more
-
