Sun Microsystems gets sued

Network Appliance has filed a suit against Sun Microsystems claiming that Sun's storage software Relevant Products/Services in Solaris violates seven of its patents, reports NewsFactor.

NetApp's move comes in the wake of what the company perceives as Sun's "prolonged and aggressive claims" against it.

Sun's demand for NetApp to license some of its intellectual property caused the company to examine the issue more closely, NetApp said.

Toshiba Storage Device Division announced two new 1.8-inch hard disks drives, one with 160GB storage capacity, and another with the 80GB, according to Tech Spot.

The 160GB model uses a dual-platter design and measures 8mm high. The drive is Toshiba's first to use the CE-ATA interface, which is designed for optimal performance and power utilisation in small devices.

The 80GB model features a single-platter design and is 5mm high. Both units spin at a relatively slow speed of 3 600rpm and feature data transfer rates of up to 52Mbps and 66Mbps for the 160GB and 80GB models respectively.

Dell had the fastest revenue growth from computer data-storage gear in the second quarter of 2007, gaining nearly 24% according to an IDC report, says Reuters.

Dell's growth in disk storage revenue follows its surge in revenue from server computers used to run corporate networks and Web sites. IDC said last month that Dell's server revenue rose 20.2% in the second quarter, the fastest among major vendors.

While overall external disk storage revenue rose 6.2% to $4.3 billion in the quarter, growth was strongest among systems priced below $300 000, IDC said.