Seagate targets would-be notebook builders

Hard drive maker Seagate Technology says it wants to help small PC manufacturers catch the rising tide of notebook PC popularity. The drive maker on Tuesday launched the Seagate Whitebook Builder program, which includes an online tool and several white papers designed to get builders started in the notebook market, as notebooks continue to gain in popularity among consumers and businesses.

The program is designed to help builders develop business plans and gauge the cost of building and selling notebooks. The online tool walks builders through the process of choosing chassis, processors and hard drives for various types of notebooks, ranging from a basic machine for use in small and medium-size businesses to a portable game system for consumers. Seagate, whose aim is to help smaller builders sell more notebooks and therefore boost sales of its own hard drives, also plans to offer builders a 20 percent discount when they purchase one of its Momentus notebook drives for testing. The term "whitebook" comes from the white-box PC market, where a large numbers of desktops are sold by small companies, often without a brand name attached.