DSI Proposes 5mm HDDs for Tablets

This may not be the best time for a new hard drive breakthrough, but A*Star Data Storage Institute (DSI) just invented a new type of hard drive that measures a mere 5mm in thickness.

In trying to develop some hard drive units for tablets, A*Star Data Storage Institute (DSI) may have solved a different problem altogether.

Granted, the shortage of hard disks that will last throughout 2012 will probably sour this new breakthrough to some extent.

Still, a milestone is a milestone, so DSI is understandably excited to share its progress on a new hard disk drive form factor.

Then again, this is not so much a new form factor as it is a means to make 2.5-inch units thin enough to be serviceable in media slates.

The thickness is of 5mm is attainable thanks to a 4mm-thick axial field motor, as opposed to the radial motors used now.

With speeds of 5,400 or 7,200 RPM (revolutions per minute), it has no cogging torque or unbalanced magnetic pull.

As such, it turns down the friction loss of the bearing, along with noise and vibration.

Finally, DSI proposed that hybrid drives should be the way of the future, since they can add power efficiency as a bonus to the other advantages of its new invention.

“DSI is very excited about the direction that we are taking. We strongly believe there is an opening in the market for thin drives. We are capitalising on our years of R&D experience in hard disk drive and data centre technologies and are working passionately to make the concept of thin hard disk drive into reality,” said Dr. Pantelis Alexopoulos, executive director of DSI.

So far, 5mm HDDs are just a concept, but it might be a good idea if companies took to it quickly.

While their prospects on the tablet segment are unclear, such units could be precisely what Ultrabook makers need to make super-thin laptops more affordable (they won't need pricey SSDs anymore).