I was just asked what criteria one should use for choosing a hard drive today.
For me, it's easy. I go to my wholesaler, ask them what the top two or three
models are, check out the reviews on those models, and then buy what seems to
fit what my client needs (UDMA or not, what size, and it has to be by one of the
top three manufacturers.)

But your average person out there -- what should they be basing their purchase
upon?  I don't trust access speed numbers -- those are too easy to manipulate,
and relatively meaningless.

So, what should the average consumer-level person be told to look for when
scanning advertisements for "great deals" on hard drives?

Roxanne Pierce
R2 Systems, San Diego
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