User:MaryGaulke/sandbox/Western Digital History

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1970s[edit]

Alvin B. Phillips founded Western Digital in 1970 as General Digital.[1][2] The company initially manufactured computer chips, particularly calculator chips, with start-up capital provided by several individual investors and industrial giant Emerson Electric.[3] One year later, the company adopted its current name[4] and introduced the WD1402A, the first single-chip universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART).[5] Later that decade, the company debuted a 4K RAM chip.[4]

In 1975, Bowmar Instruments, Western Digital's main calculator chip customer, filed for bankruptcy;[6] Western Digital in turn declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1976.[7] The company reorganized and reemerged in 1978.[8]

Western Digital introduced several products during the late 1970s, including the MCP-1600 multi-chip, microcoded CPU. The MCP-1600 was used to implement Digital Equipment Corporation's LSI-11 system.[9] The processor was also used in several single-chip floppy disk drive controller chips, including notably the FD1771.[10]

1980s[edit]

In the early 1980s, the company began making hard disk drive controllers. Kathryn Braun became the head of the company's storage products unit in 1982 and has been credited with driving tremendous growth of the division over the following 15 years,[11] increasing its income from $15 million to more than $2 billion.[4] In 1983, engineers at the company created a prototype in just two weeks of a controller for the IBM PC/AT.[4] The PC/AT controller debuted the next year as the first Winchester hard drive controller card.[2] Subsequently, the company shifted its focus to creating components for the growing market of personal computers.[4] In 1985, the company created the first Enhanced Small Device Interface controller board, which enabled PCs to use faster hard drives with larger capacities.[2] Storage controller products generated almost 90 percent of the company's income in that year.[4]

Western Digital Paradise VGA card, 8-bit ISA bus, circa 1989

In the later part of the decade, Western Digital worked to position itself as an OEM hardware supplier and purchased several hardware companies.[4] These included graphics cards (through its Paradise subsidiary, purchased 1986, which became Western Digital Imaging),[12][13] core logic chip sets (by purchasing Faraday Electronics in 1987),[14] and controller chips for disk and tape devices (by purchasing Adaptive Data Systems Inc. in 1986).[15]

In 1987, Western Digital announced it would buy the hard drive production assets of PC hardware maker Tandon in order to broaden further Western Digital's range of PC equipment products.[16] The company joined the Fortune 500 the next year[4] and signed a lease in preparation for its move to Irvine, California, in 1990.[17]

1990s[edit]

Western Digital Tidbit 60 (WDAH260) - 62.3 MB (2.5 inch drive mounted in 3.5 inch adapter bracket)
Western Digital Caviar 80 MB (model number WDAC280-32), from a series of HDDs for desktop PCs; it is a 3.5-inch HDD mounted onto a 5.25-inch adapter bracket.

In 1990, Western Digital debuted its first 3.5-inch Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) drive in its Caviar line. Three years later, the company progressed to "Enhanced IDE", which exceeded 528MB-throughput and allowed users to attach optical and tape drives to the unit.[2]

Despite the success of the Caviar line, the company struggled during this period, as did the computing industry in general.[4] During a 15-month period in 1990 and 1991, the company lost $172 million and downsized some properties and staff. Four of the six major disk-drive manufacturers also reported losses during this time.[18]

Charles A. Haggerty, an executive at IBM, became the company's president in 1992;[19] he later became CEO. In 1998, Braun, the highest-paid female executive in Orange County, retired as the company's president and chief operating officer.[11]

Also in 1998, Western Digital started a new partnership with IBM. This agreement gave Western Digital the rights to use certain IBM technologies, including giant magneto-resistive (GMR) heads.[4]

2000s[edit]

Western Digital WD740GD 74 GB Raptor, a 10,000 rpm 3.5-inch HDD

In 2003, Western Digital acquired most of the assets of bankrupt, formerly market-leading magnetic hard drive read-write head developer Read-Rite Corporation.[20] Within seven months, the acquisition added to the company's earnings, nine months ahead of schedule.[21] In the same year, Western Digital offered the first 10,000 rpm Serial ATA HDD, the Raptor, with a capacity of 37 GB. While the company designed the Raptor for enterprise applications, it also became popular with gamers. The Raptor X followed in 2006, with a capacity of 150 GB and a transparent window showing its inner hardware.[2]

In 2006, Western Digital introduced its My Book line of mass market external hard drives that feature a compact book-like design.[22] Later additions increased its capacity to 1 TB and then 2 TB.[23][24]

In 2007, Western Digital acquired thin-film media maker Komag.[25] Also in the same year, the company announced it had created a hard drive with a record-setting density of 520 GB per square inch with the use of perpendicular recording and tunneling magneto-resistive technology.[26] Western Digital also started to produce the energy-efficient Green Power (GP) range of drives.[27]

Two third-generation 1 TB VelociRaptors in IcePack mounting frames

In 2008, Western Digital announced a new generation of its 10,000 rpm SATA WD Raptor series of hard drives. The new drives, called WD VelociRaptor, featured 300 GB capacity and 2.5-inch (64 mm) platters enclosed in the IcePack, a 3.5-inch (89 mm) mounting frame with a built-in heat sink.[28]

In 2009, Western Digital shipped the first 2 TB internal hard disk drive.[29] A few months later, the company entered the solid-state drive market with the acquisition of SiliconSystems.[30] A few months after that, the company announced the first 1 TB mobile hard disk drive.[31]

In October 2009, Western Digital announced the shipment of the first 3 TB internal hard disk drive, which has 750 GB-per-platter density with SATA interface.[32]

  1. ^ "Where in the World Wide Web Is Al Phillips?". IEEE Spectrum. 1 May 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e Farrance, Rex (13 September 2006). "Timeline: 50 Years of Hard Drives". PCWorld. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  3. ^ Harris, Robin (28 June 2018). "Western Digital shakes up data storage". ZDNet. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Western Digital Corp. History". Funding Universe. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  5. ^ "Chip Hall of Fame: Western Digital WD1402A UART". IEEE Spectrum. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  6. ^ Smith, William D. (February 11, 1975). "Bowmar Will Ask Reorganization". The New York Times. p. 55.
  7. ^ The Competitiveness of Clusters in Globalized Markets. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis. 2016. ISBN 9781317682271. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  8. ^ Hoover, Gary (2001). Hoover's Handbook of American Business 2002. Austin, TX: Hoover's Business Press. p. 1514. ISBN 1-57311-072-8. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  9. ^ "Western Digital adds MCP-1600 Micro". Computerworld: 26. 26 November 1975. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  10. ^ Michalopoulos, Demetrios A (October 1976). "New Products: Single-chip floppy disk formatter/controller". Computer. 9 (10): 64. doi:10.1109/C-M.1976.218414."The FD1771 is a single-chip floppy disk formatter/controller that interfaces with most available disk drives and virtually all types of computers."
  11. ^ a b Huffstutter, P.J. (21 August 1998). "Western Digital Executive Gives Kingdom for a Life". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  12. ^ "Acquisition Completed by Western Digital Corp". Los Angeles Times. 5 December 1986. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  13. ^ Takahashi, Dean (6 July 1990). "Suit Says Western Digital Violated Graphics Patents". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  14. ^ "Briefs". Network World. 11 May 1987. p. 10. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  15. ^ Feibus, Michael (17 July 1986). "Western Digital Set to Acquire Pomona Firm". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  16. ^ Olmos, David; Bates, James (8 December 1987). "Western Digital Will Buy Tandon's Hard-Disk Manufacturing Business : Seen as Move to Broaden Computer Products Line". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  17. ^ Flagg, Michael (22 January 1988). "Irvine Co. Signs Western Digital to $60-Million Lease". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  18. ^ Takahashi, Dean (19 January 1992). "Tough Times Challenging Western Digital Chairman". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  19. ^ Markoff, John (27 May 1992). "COMPANY NEWS; I.B.M. Executive Is Named President of Western Digital". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  20. ^ Smith, Tony (24 July 2003). "Western Digital buys up Read-Rite assets". The Register. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  21. ^ "Read-Rite buy pays off for Western Digital". San Francisco Business Times. 28 August 2003. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  22. ^ Ngo, Dong (15 June 2006). "My Book Premium Edition review". CNET. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  23. ^ Smith, Tony (3 October 2006). "Western Digital ships 1TB RAID-able external HDD". The Register. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  24. ^ Melanson, Donald (24 July 2007). "Western Digital rolls out 2TB My Book external hard drives". Engadget. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  25. ^ Auchard, Eric (28 June 2007). "Disk drive consolidation as Western buys Komag". Reuters. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  26. ^ Fallon, Sean (17 October 2007). "Western Digital Announces Record Breaking Hard Drive Density". Gizmodo. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  27. ^ Rothman, Wilson (23 July 2007). "Western Digital Launches Efficient GreenPower Drives, From 320GB to 1TB". Gizmodo. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  28. ^ Wilson, Mark (21 April 2008). "Western Digital Velociraptor Is New "Fastest Hard Drive Ever"". Gizmodo. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  29. ^ "Western Digital launches 2TB hard drive". ZDNet. January 27, 2009. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  30. ^ Hruska, Joel (30 March 2009). "Western Digital goes solid state, acquires SiliconSystems". Ars Technica. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  31. ^ Murph, Darren (27 July 2009). "WD ships industry's first 2.5-inch 1TB hard drive". Engadget. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  32. ^ "WD's New 3TB Drive Packs More Storage Than 32-Bit Can Handle". WIRED. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
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