Toshiba Expands Its Lineup of Market-Leading 1.8-Inch HDDs with PC and CE Solutions

Business Wire, Dec 13, 2007

New Low-Power, Rugged 1.8-Inch HDDs Feature up to 120GB Capacity with an 80GB Light-Weight Model for PC Applications, along with a Series of 60GB Drives Optimized for CE Devices

IRVINE, Calif. -- Toshiba Storage Device Division (SDD), the industry pioneer in small form factor hard disk drives (HDDs), today announced expansion of its market-leading 1.8-inch HDD lineup with a series of five new HDDs for PC and consumer electronics (CE) applications. Highlights include a high-capacity 120GB1 model for thin and light mobile PCs, as well as slim, single-platter 80GB and 60GB models for ultra-mobile PC and portable handheld CE devices.

Toshiba's new 1.8-inch HDDs for PC applications include the 120GB MK1214GAH, the 60GB MK6028GAL and the lightweight 80GB MK8025GAL, weighing two grams less than traditional 5-millimeter-high 1.8-inch HDDs. All three models are equipped with a PATA interface, 2MB buffer and 512 byte-per-sector format for tablet, mobile PC, ultra-portable, ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) and other applications.

For CE applications, Toshiba introduced two single-platter, 60GB 1.8-inch HDDs in the slim, 5-millimeter-high form factor with special attributes for mobile and handheld products. The MK6014GAL offers a 4,200 RPM spin speed and 2MB buffer for faster data throughput, while the MK6015GAA supports a 3,600 RPM spin speed for quieter operation.

Toshiba's two 60GB CE HDDs demonstrate the company's lead in the design and manufacture of long data sector technology with 1K byte-per-sector formats optimized for CE systems. Toshiba was the first HDD manufacturer to use long data sector technology in its recently introduced 160GB 1.8-inch HDD (MK1626GCB), which uses a 4K byte-per-sector architecture.

"Long data sector technology brings advantages in drive format efficiency, improved error correction capability and enhanced storage capacity," said Dr. Michael A. Russak, executive director of IDEMA-US, the international trade association of the HDD industry. "Clearly, Toshiba is a leader in taking advantage of these benefits and will be delivering more robust, highly efficient storage solutions to its customers. IDEMA has been working to support member companies in migrating from the traditional 512 byte data sector format to larger formats as Toshiba has done in these products."

1.8-inch HDDs Expand Beyond Portable Media Players

With this expanded lineup, Toshiba is targeting new markets and applications for the 1.8-inch form factor. The lightweight, high-capacity 80GB drive accommodates highly portable, thin and light PCs and mobile Internet devices, while the CE-oriented 60GB products are targeted for camcorders, digital cameras and other handheld devices.

Toshiba's 1.8-inch HDDs have helped fuel the digital product revolution since their introduction in 2000, with high-capacity storage in compact, durable form factors for content capture and playback, information-sharing and data access. With capacity points that reflect mainstream mobile and desktop HDD levels, Toshiba's 1.8-inch HDDs have enabled enhanced capabilities in CE products such as portable media players, handheld GPS, camcorders and other digital devices, and driven the emergence of full-featured thin and light notebooks, sub-notebooks, tablet PCs and other extreme mobility systems.

In addition to spurring miniaturization and mobility for PC and CE devices, 1.8-inch HDDs deliver better power efficiency, improved ruggedness and quieter acoustics for music and video playback over long periods of time, compared to larger form factor HDDs.

With nearly 60 million 1.8-inch HDDs shipped, Toshiba has consistently held the number one position in the 1.8-inch HDD segment, according to IDC2. The company is now shipping its eighth generation of 1.8-inch HDDs and has brought to market more than 20 different models since 2000.

"We are the only HDD manufacturer with a proven track record of success in the 1.8-inch HDD category, and we see healthy opportunity for continued growth and adoption of this form factor," said Maciek Brzeski, vice president of marketing at Toshiba SDD. "With increasing capacities and better features for mobility, 1.8-inch HDDs are driving new markets and finding their way into traditional storage-hungry applications such as mobile PCs."

Toshiba's new family of 1.8-inch HDDs are shipping to PC and CE manufacturers and distribution partners in December. Interested developers and design engineers can visit www.toshibastorage.com for more information on Toshiba's line of industry-leading 1.8-inch HDDs.

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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 2.5-inch and 1.8-inch hard disk drives, as well as next-generation HD DVD storage products. Toshiba SDD markets high-quality peripherals to original equipment manufacturers, value-added resellers, value-added dealers, systems integrators, distributors and retailers 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.toshibastorage.com.