The data storage technology is continuously developing, and the latest innovation in this field is the concept of perpendicular recording, announced by all the major companies involved in this industry.

However, it looks like the first company to put a hard drive using the perpendicular recording technique into mass production will be Showa Denko KK (SDK) from Japan, as reported by Tony Smith for The Register.

The 1.89in platter is pitched at small, mobile devices and offers a storage capacity of 40GB, double the capacity of a platter using the traditional longitudinal recording system.

Perpendicular recording increases disk capacity by aligning the millions of magnetic domains at 90° to the disk's surface rather than parallel to it.

Almost all hard drive manufacturers are working on perpendicular product, regarded as the next stage in the evolution of the HDD. Toshiba, Seagate and Hitachi have all announced perpendicular drives, but as yet none have shipped product. Seagate, for example, is expected to ship its 160GB, 2.5in hard drive in Q4, targeting notebooks. Toshiba is expected to begin mass production of a perpendicular 1.8in, 80GB drive shortly.