There stupid, Test are total flaw and as anyone knows 30seconds added to start up is a long time and shut down isnt as important but still 10 seconds means alot for reboots.
One problem is they ghosted which also reproduces the same fragmented FAT.
They needed to use the MFG copy software, A File copy image will produce a clean MSF/FAT.
Ive hear but as rumor that Vista defrag leaves little to be desired, But Im sure somone could que in on that wether 3rd party might be better.
Defrag makes a difference but it can be minimal or great change.
As Spindle drives have changed and evolved over the years different set ups can produce considerable differences in speed and change from file fragmentation.
This even goes with any OS (Yes Nix also), Theres are changes that accure durring clean ups and defrag that alter the statistics of how a OS handles file access.
An eg. I can give is a 250Gig drive used for say 5 years without defrag, If benched then defraged then benched then imaged off formated and imaged back again, Benched will produce 3 different benchmarks, Why?, Well for one the Files are located in different spots on the spindle, The other is that the MFS (FAT or what ever the initials elude me at the moment of writing) has also changed and in size and fragmentation.
This is also more noticable in OS that any kind FAT over BAM as its a redundancy of look up tables that become fragmented.
Some drive access times are fast enough to compensate but in the end the more the heads have to move and over larger distances the slower things get.
When HDs speed surpass controller throughput will defragging make no difference, But by that time SSD would be in full use and no need to defrag there.
And defrag doesnt lower the life of spindle drives, There expectancy is wether its on or off nothing more, There may even be less wear as the heads are travaling around insted of wearing a groove in the neutral idle path.
I think I will reproduce there test, But Im going to have to leave part of it out as I defrag often because I can tell when even my page file has fragmented to much.
But I will try both File image and ghosting and post up my findings.