Toshiba Leads Transition to Higher-Capacity Mobile HDDs with Shipment of Its Second Product Using Perpendicular Recording Technology; 80GB 1.8-inch PMR HDD Currently Shipping in Digital Music and Notebook Applications

Business Wire, Jan 5, 2006

LAS VEGAS -- Toshiba Storage Device Division (SDD), the industry pioneer in small-form-factor hard disk drives (HDDs), has expanded its family of HDDs based on perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) with shipments of 80GB 1.8-inch HDDs for consumer electronics (CE) devices and mobile computers.

The dual-platter MK8007GAH HDD is currently shipping in digital music and notebook applications and follows the 40GB PMR drive Toshiba announced in August 2005.

PMR is a breakthrough technology that sets new benchmarks for data density and is based on three key elements: 1) a new magnetic disk structured to support perpendicular recording, 2) a new high-performance perpendicular magnetic head and 3) disk and head integration technology that maximizes their combined performance. Toshiba continues to lead the storage industry with the first commercialized PMR HDD in 2005, providing unsurpassed recording density and high operating reliability on its 1.8-inch HDD platform.

Toshiba's 1.8-inch PMR HDD offers the highest areal density currently on the market at 206 megabits per square millimeter(1) (133 gigabits per square inch). The 80GB drive delivers high-capacity storage for robust music, video and photo applications on MP3 players, mobile phones, digital cameras, handheld navigation devices and more. With this amount of storage, MP3 devices can hold up to 20,000 songs or 36 hours of DVD-quality video.

"The race to deliver smaller and more robust mobile devices and consumer electronics gadgets over the past several years has challenged the storage industry to provide more capacity," said Scott Maccabe, vice president and general manager, Toshiba Storage Device Division. "Toshiba has overcome the technical barriers to increasing capacity and is leading the HDD industry in transitioning to PMR with shipment of our second offering. With this magnitude of storage in the 1.8-inch form factor, digital music and video players can evolve as convergence devices and mobile computers continue to shrink in footprint. Toshiba's 1.8-inch PMR drives will truly alter the capabilities of these personal electronics tools."

Toshiba recently topped all HDD manufacturers in CE HDD shipments for the third quarter of 2005, according to research firm IDC. To date, Toshiba has shipped more than 14 million 1.8-inch HDDs since introducing the form factor in mid-2000. The 1.8-inch HDD helped ignite the digital music player market and spawned a category of ultra-portable mobile computers.

Product Availability: Now Shipping

Toshiba is currently shipping the 80GB MK8007GAH to OEM partners. For more information on Toshiba's PMR technology and mobile HDD family, visit www.sdd.toshiba.com.

Product Specifications: 80GB 1.8-inch HDD

Model Name                                      MK8007GAH
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Formatted Capacity(1)                             80GB
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Number of Platters                                 2
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Number of Heads                                    4
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Average Seek Time                                15msec
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Data Transfer Rate                            Ultra DMA/100
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Rotational Speed                                4,200 rpm
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Interface                                         ATA-6
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External Dimensions                          54 x 78.5 x 8mm
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Weight                                             62g
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Shock Resistance                   Operating: 4,900m/s2 (500G: 2msec)
                                   Non-Operating: 14,700m/s2 (1,500G:
                                                  1msec)
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About Toshiba Storage Device Division

Toshiba SDD, a division of Toshiba America Information Systems Inc., leads the market in the development, design and manufacturing of small-form-factor 0.85-inch, 1.8-inch and 2.5-inch hard disk drives. Toshiba SDD markets high-quality peripherals to original equipment manufacturers, value-added resellers, value-added dealers, systems integrators and distributors in the United States. Inherent in the Toshiba storage family are the high-quality engineering and manufacturing capabilities that have established Toshiba products as worldwide leaders. For more information, visit www.sdd.toshiba.com.

About Toshiba America Information Systems Inc. (TAIS)

With headquarters in Irvine, Calif., TAIS is comprised of three divisions: the Digital Products Division, the Digital Solutions Division and the Storage Device Division. Together, the three divisions provide mobile products and solutions, Internet access plans, communications, storage and imaging products and services. Products include industry-leading portable computers, projectors and hard disk drives for computers, telephony products, digital imaging systems, wireless solutions and services.