Question : Problem: Acer Aspire hard drive crashed within 80 days.  Looking for a reliable replacement...

I purchased an Acer Aspire 3003LCi in November 2005.  Within 80 days the hard drive has completely crashed.  I cannot access any data, it is not even recognized by another system.  This item is covered by warranty.  The hard drive is a 40 GB Seagate  ST94019A.  The replacement Acer sends will be the same brand.  I no longer trust Seagate products and wish to replace this hard drive with another brand.  Several vendors have been unable to reccomend a suitable hard drive.  "We do not carry anything that can be used specifically for Acer."  I have two requests: #1 Which manufacturers are the most reliable when it comes to notebook hard drives?  #2 What makes a hard drive specifically rated for a particular laptop?  The vendors I spoke with could not tell me whether it is a physical difference (size), electrical (current ratings), or just a political thing.

Answer : Problem: Acer Aspire hard drive crashed within 80 days.  Looking for a reliable replacement...

Just because 1 drive breaks early I wouldn't not trust that manufacturer. This happens to all of them. You can only say you don't trust a drive if this happens often to the same manufacturer. Just don't jolt the PC around too much, and make sure it is turned off when you are moving around with it. To safeguard your data, run backups often. Seagate generally has a good record.

Any 2.5" HD should fit into your notebook, just make sure the dimensions of the other disk aren't too large, so that it fits into the drive bay.