WebProNews

In the first quarter, prices for hard disk drives from various manufacturers increased, reversing a recent trend.

According to market research firm iSuppli Corp., hard drive makers Seagate, Western Digital, and Maxtor all raised their average selling prices. Seagate raised its average selling price $3 to $79, Western Digital went up $1 to $60, and Maxtor went up $4 to $75, the company noted.

This is a reversal in the trend that has seen prices fall for other computer components as well as disk drives. Several factors have impacted the price.

Manufacturing shortages of desired next-generation drives have occurred as manufacturers increase production capacity. Prices for items like glass and aluminum, used to make the storage substrates on a disk, have risen.

And, a greater number of consume products that never used hard drives before have started using them now. Digital camcorders from Japan's JVC come with drives now, as do some new models of mobile phones. Also, the PalmOne LifeDrive, a mobile management product, contains a tiny 4GB drive.

As demands for little drives continue, the disk manufacturers have followed that demand, making fewer normal-sized drives for the conventional PC market.

David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business. Email him here.