"All other things being equal you will have a noticeable hard drive reduction in performance, " said Mr Burks, adding that, in some circumstances, it could make a drive 10% slower.

BBC: Hard drive evolution could hit Microsoft XP users

The drive on cost reduction, along with Mr Ellison's previously unsuspected appetite for detail and process, astounded everybody at Oracle, not least Mr Lane.

ECONOMIST: Oracle

At the event, HGST is comparing the power consumption between a helium-filled drive and an equivalent air-filled drive side-by-side, demonstrating a reduction in power consumption for the helium-filled drive of 23 percent.

ENGADGET: HGST develops helium-filled, high-capacity hard drives: no, they won't float away