Toshiba Storage Device Division (SDD), the pioneer in small form factor hard disk drives (HDDs), today announced the world’s first dual-platter 240GB(1) (MK2431GAH) and single-platter 120GB (MKxx31GAL series) 1.8-inch HDDs for integration into portable media players, camcorders and compact ultra-mobile PCs for the holiday shopping season.
The new MKxx31GAL series also includes an 80GB capacity offering, rounding out the most complete line of high-capacity 4,200 RPM 1.8-inch HDDs for consumer electronics (CE) and mobile PC system manufacturers.
Toshiba’s two new Parallel ATA HDD families feature the industry’s highest areal density at 344 gigabits-per-square-inch, using fourth-generation perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) technology, which was first introduced and commercialized by Toshiba in 2005. Toshiba’s technology leadership in PMR has enabled the company to consistently deliver leading-edge capacities in the 1.8-inch form factor to support growing demand for the miniaturization of mobile devices to run digital video, photo, audio and computing applications.
The new 1.8-inch HDD series uses a new mechanical and firmware design for enhanced durability, making the 80GB and 120GB single-platter HDDs well-suited for slim-line mobile gadgets and PC applications. The new dual-platter 240GB MK2431GAH product is especially suitable for light-weight mobile PC applications and high-end digital video camcorders, which require high capacity and ruggedness to protect users’ valuable digital assets.
Striking Balance Between Performance and Energy Consumption
Design elements incorporated in the 240GB MK2431GAH optimize power performance to new levels with a 33 percent overall improvement in energy consumption efficiency(2) over Toshiba’s previous generation two-platter, 160GB 3,600 RPM 1.8-inch model. In addition, Toshiba’s entire line of new 4,200 RPM 1.8-inch HDDs delivers solid performance while state-of-the-art electrical components reduce power consumption during read and write operations by 20 percent, resulting in a cumulative improvement in power management. In addition, PC applications benefit from the performance boost of an 8MB buffer.
“Toshiba’s dedication and focus on 1.8-inch HDD product development over the past decade has enabled us to continually drive innovation in this form factor — from robust capacity introductions to improved performance and power efficiency,” said Maciek Brzeski, vice president of marketing at Toshiba Storage Device Division. “Thanks to these continual advancements, 1.8-inch HDDs have become an ideal form factor for the digital world, where the ability to handle rich digital content in a mobile environment is king.”
Toshiba has been the market share leader in the 1.8-inch HDD category since its first product was introduced in 2000 and has cumulatively shipped more than 60 million 1.8-inch HDDs worldwide. The company’s new 1.8-inch HDDs also reflect a commitment to enhancing the environmental soundness of its products by discontinuing use of certain environmentally harmful chemical substances across all components incorporated in the drive and reducing carbon dioxide emissions during HDD operation. In particular, the MKxx31GAL series has been designed to lower carbon dioxide emissions by 54 grams per year.(3)
Toshiba’s new 1.8-inch HDDs will be incorporated into CE and mobile PC products shipping this holiday season. Interested developers and design engineers can visit http://www.toshibastorage.com for more information regarding Toshiba’s line of industry-leading small form factor HDDs.