I've just replaced a Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 40 drive w/ this Quantum AS drive. The new Quantum drive is whisper-quiet, while the Maxtor was neither loud nor quiet. Since the Quantum drive has 20 GB/platter, it's somewhat faster (seek times are about the same).
I have to admit the first time I bought this drive was from buy.com, and that unit failed within a day. The replacement drive, purchased from outpost.com has been fine for the past few days. The Maxtor has performed reliably for 8 months, and will be moving into a friend's system.
In short, the performance drives to buy at this time are the IBM 75GXP, the WD 40BB, or the Quantum AS series. Maxtor drives, on the other hand, are popular at retail and can be had for slightly cheaper if you use Staples pricematch/coupon. Personally, I'd rather get the
faster drive from outpost w/ no sales tax & free next-day shipping and wait a few months for the rebate.
