Toshiba Breaks 100GB Threshold for 1.8-Inch Hard Disk Drives

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Toshiba Storage Device Division (SDD), the industry pioneer in small form factor hard disk drives (HDDs), continues to lead innovation in the mobile HDD category with the introduction of the world's highest-capacity 1.8-inch HDD. The 100GB^a two-platter HDD is based on perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) and propels the functionality and storage capacity of mobile PCs.

“We are enhancing the capabilities of PMR with the incorporation of TMR head technology to deliver another industry-leading mobile HDD”

Designed in the "short" 1.8-inch form factor, Toshiba's new MK1011GAH offers a footprint that is 10 percent smaller than first-generation 1.8-inch drives. With an areal density of 155.3 Gbit/in², the drive is specially designed for thin and light mobile computers with an 8MB cache. In addition, Toshiba’s new 1.8-inch capacity leader features the same tunnel magneto-resistive (TMR) head technology combined with perpendicular recording that delivered the company’s world-leading 200GB capacity in the 2.5-inch HDD class with an areal density of 178.8 Gbit/in².

“We are enhancing the capabilities of PMR with the incorporation of TMR head technology to deliver another industry-leading mobile HDD," said Scott Maccabe, vice president and general manager, Toshiba Storage Device Division. “Toshiba's technology innovation is setting the bar for mobile HDDs, and our first-to-market position in PMR is clearly helping us define the possibilities for pushing capacity limits in the mobile sector with more than two million mobile PMR HDDs shipped and over a year in commercialization.”

Toshiba’s 100GB 1.8-inch HDD integrates a low insertion force (LIF) connector, providing a format that enables mobile PC manufacturers to easily transition to higher capacities in smaller footprint HDDs.

Marking its technology leadership in mobile HDDs, Toshiba was again the world market-share leader in HDD shipments into consumer electronics applications and tied for the lead in overall mobile HDD shipments, for the third quarter of 2006 according to leading research firm IDC^b. Toshiba commands a resounding 80 percent share in the 1.8-inch category, according to IDC, and has shipped more than 40 million 1.8-inch drives since introduction in 2000.

Toshiba's MK1011GAH 1.8-inch HDD is RoHS compliant and will ship to OEMs for integration into mobile PCs in January 2007. For more information about Toshiba’s full line of small form factor HDDs, visit www.sdd.toshiba.com.

Product Specifications

Model Number		MK1011GAH
Capacity (Formatted)		100GB
Number of platters		2
Number of heads		4
Average seek time		15 msec
Data transfer rate		100MB/s
Rotational speed		4,200 rpm
Interface		ATA-7 (LIF connector)
External Dimensions (WxDxH; mm)		54.0x71.0x8.0
Weight		59 g (max.)
Energy consumption efficiency		0.003 W/GB
	Operating	4,900 m/s² (500G, 2msec)
Shock resistance
Shock resistance	Non-operating	14,700 m/s² (1,500G, 1msec)

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, 1.8-inch and 0.85-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 and distributors 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.sdd.toshiba.com.

About Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. (TAIS)

Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., TAIS is comprised of four business units: Digital Products Division, Imaging Systems Division, Storage Device Division, and Telecommunication Systems Division. Together, these divisions provide mobile products and solutions, including industry leading portable computers; projectors; imaging products for the security, medical and manufacturing markets; storage products for automotive, computer and consumer electronics applications; and telephony equipment and associated applications.

TAIS provides sales, marketing and services for its wide range of information products in the United States and Latin America. TAIS is an independent operating company owned by Toshiba America, Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation, which is a global leader in high technology and integrated manufacturing of electrical and electronic components, products and systems, as well as major infrastructure systems. Toshiba has worldwide forecasted sales of about $60 billion this fiscal year, and approximately 300 subsidiaries and affiliates around the world. For more information on Toshiba’s leading innovations, visit the company’s Website at www.toshiba.com.

© 2006 Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. All product, service and company names are trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. Information including without limitation product prices, specifications, availability, content of services, and contact information is subject to change without notice.

(a) Toshiba defines a gigabyte (GB) as one billion bytes.

(b) Source: IDC 3Q06 quarterly world wide hard disk drive data.