Abstract: A technique for managing the modes of the hard disk drive to extend battery life and reduce noise. The technique may be implemented by a processor in a portable digital music player that stores audio tracks on a hard disk drive, for example. This technique includes reading a block of audio data from the disk and storing the block in a buffer while the disk is spinning. Subsequent to reading the block, the disk is spun down to a power-saving mode, while the block is played from the buffer. While the block is being played from the buffer, the technique includes monitoring the amount of the block left to be played. When the amount the block left to be played drops below a low threshold level, the disk is transitioned from the power saving mode back to a spinning mode so that data can be read from the disk before the block is finished being played from the buffer.

Abstract: A technique for extending battery life and reducing noise in a portable music player storing tracks on a hard drive reads a track from the disk to a buffer and plays the track from the buffer while the disk is spun down to a power-saving state. Noise and vibration is also reduced when the disk is spun down.