Toshiba Extends PMR to Short HDD Family

By DE Editors

Toshiba Storage Device Division(SDD; Irvine, CA) has extended perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR)to its “short” 1.8-in. HDD family. With a 10 percent smaller footprintthan its first-generation 1.8-in. PMR HDDs and up to 80GB1 of capacity,Toshiba’s new 1.8-inch HDD family can hold up to 40,000 songs, 200hours of video or 3,000 photos.

The 4,200 RPM, single-platter, 40GB MK4009GAL and double-platter, 80GBMK8009GAH products are specially designed for consumer electronicsdevices and ultra-portable PCs to provide higher capacity in a smallerform factor for true convergence of digital content in the mobileenvironment. These HDDs deliver an increased areal density of 134gigabits per square inch and offer improved media rates of 356.8 Mbps.

Toshiba’s short HDD family integrates a low insertion force (LIF)connector, providing a format that enables CE and PC manufacturers toeasily transition to higher capacity in smaller footprint HDDs. As aresult, these drives meet common design specifications for consumerelectronics products, such as digital audio players, portable mediaplayers, handheld GPS navigation units, digital video camcorders andother devices. Because the short HDD family now offers an 8MB buffer,these drives also are suitable for mobile computers, providing ahigh-capacity, smaller footprint HDD to PC OEMs for ultra-portabledesigns.

Toshiba’s new 1.8-in. HDD family is currently shipping and available toOEMs, as well as through distribution partners. For more informationand product specifications, visit sdd.toshiba.com.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.