Toshiba Announces the Industry's First 1.8-Inch, 320GB Hard Drive

Toshiba's Storage Device Division (SDD) announced today the expansion of its line of 1.8-inch, traditional hard disk drives with the introduction of two new additions designed to meet the requirements of a full range of mobile computing applications. The new additions include a high-performance 5,400RPM family of drives, featuring an industry's leading 320GB capacity, but also a power-efficient 4,200RPM model boasting a 120GB storage capacity. The two families of drives are designed for the mobile computing market and are focused on delivering the necessary features to specific segments.

“Toshiba 1.8-inch HDDs provide a compelling solution for any application that demands extreme mobility along with the ability to reliably and quietly store large amounts of user content,” Maciek Brzeski, vice president of marketing at the Toshiba Storage Device Division, said. “As the market demands smaller devices, manufacturers can take advantage of the 1.8-inch form factor's small footprint, low power consumption, light weight, proven durability and volume manufacturability. With these benefits, Toshiba 1.8-inch HDDs have served as the foundation for a variety of innovative consumer electronics and PC products that have continued to evolve and transform the market over the years.”

The industry's first 320GB, 1.8-inch hard drive, model MKxx33GSG, has been designed with 16MB of buffer memory, a 5,400RPM platter speed, a total of two platters and a maximum areal density of 516Gb/in². Featuring a traditional SATA 3.0Gb/s interface, the drive measures just 54.0 mm x 78.5 mm x 8.0 mm and weighs in at just 62 grams. The MK1235GSL model, which has been designed to provide users with a power-efficient storage solution, is featured with a maximum storage capacity of 120GB on a single platter that rotates at 4,200RPM. The drive is also featured with an SATA II interface and weighs just 51 grams.

The MK1235GSL is currently shipping in volume production, according to Toshiba, while the 320GB Mkxx33GSG is planned to enter mass production sometime in early December. Unfortunately, the company revealed no details on the pricing of the two drives.