Toshiba Introduces Highest-Capacity 2.5-inch Hard Disk Drives in Two New Product Families

IRVINE, Calif., March 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Toshiba America Storage Device Division, the pioneer in small form factor hard disk drives (HDDs), today announced two additions to its 5,400 RPM line of 2.5-inch HDDs featuring industry-leading storage capacities.  In the standard 9.5 millimeter-high, two-platter design, the MK7559GSXP HDD incorporates both the industry's highest areal density and capacity at 750GB(1).  

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Toshiba also introduced a new three-platter 12.5-millimeter-high platform with the MKxx59GSM series, which offers 750GB and 1TB of storage.  These capacity points were predominantly supported by larger form factor 3.5-inch HDDs until the introduction of high-end 2.5-inch solutions, providing low-power, space-saving opportunities to system manufacturers looking to differentiate or update their products.

These two new product offerings expand Toshiba's mobile HDD product line into the highest-capacity segment of the 2.5-inch HDD market and represent the company's first mobile HDD platforms developed with the combined engineering resources from the integration of Fujitsu's HDD business, which Toshiba acquired last fall.  

To deliver these next-generation storage capacities, Toshiba has implemented Advanced Sector Format technology in both families.  This technology uses 4K byte-per-sector formatting and improved error-correcting code (ECC) functions, providing maximum data integrity and making efficient use of the storage surface area.  Toshiba is guiding efforts to ease industry transition to the advanced 4K byte-per-sector format, while continuing to provide a full line of mobile HDDs, including models that support the legacy 512 byte-per-sector configuration.

"Toshiba continues to lead in integrating state-of-the-art technologies such as 4K byte-per-sector formatting to drive capacity increases and help system manufacturers succeed in their markets," said Maciek Brzeski, vice president of marketing at Toshiba Storage Device Division. "Since the introduction of our first 4K byte-per-sector offering on a 1.8-inch HDD in 2007, we have leveraged our miniaturization expertise to perfect this technology, balancing storage advancements and reliability with solid performance.  As a result, Toshiba can deliver performance benefits with high capacity drives using the 4K byte-per-sector implementation by working with product manufacturers to maintain compatibility with the host device's operating system and software packages."

High Capacity for Digital Content Proliferation

The MK7559GSXP HDD features an areal density of 541.4G bit/in^2, making it ideal for mobile applications in which capacity is key, including notebook computers and portable storage products.  These HDDs also are well-suited for devices that value high capacity in a smaller footprint with improved acoustic performance and lower power operation compared to larger form factor HDDs.  Those applications include all-in-one desktops, televisions and set top boxes.  

At 12.5 millimeters-high, the MKxx59GSM series is geared to external add-on and removable storage, tape replacement and docking station applications, as well as addresses the escalating demand for capacity and portability in gaming notebooks, mobile workstations and other capacity-hungry applications.  The 1TB MK1059GSM model can store up to 285,000 digital photos, 263,000 digital music files or 820 digital movies(2).  

The 1TB and 750GB capacity points target the strongest growth segment of the personal storage market.  According to IDC, demand for these two capacity points will increase from 11 percent of the external add-on storage market to 46 percent by 2012(3).  

"The HDD industry is extending its established, long-term trend of delivering more storage capacity in smaller form factors, giving system manufacturers new options for creating product designs in smaller, more economical footprints with lower power profiles," said John Rydning, research director at IDC. "Toshiba's new 750GB and 1TB 2.5-inch hard disk drives provide viable, smaller form factor alternatives to 3.5-inch HDDs in certain applications, as well as expand the storage capacity for removable HDDs and 2.5-inch personal storage solutions."

Both the MK7559GSXP and the MKxx59GSM HDDs incorporate Toshiba's "silent seek" technology, which makes every seek operation as quiet as an idling drive.  These products also adhere to Toshiba's environmental initiatives in their use of power efficiency techniques and components that reduce reliance on harmful chemicals, materials and compounds.  

Information and Availability

Toshiba's MKxx59GSM series and MK7559GSXP drives are scheduled to ship to PC manufacturers and distributors in the second and third quarters of 2010, respectively.  Design samples of the MKxx59GSM are currently available to system manufacturers, followed by samples of the MK7559GSXP in April.  For more information on Toshiba's line of industry-leading small form factor hard drives, visit www.toshibastorage.com.  

About Toshiba Storage Device Division

Toshiba is a one-of-a-kind global storage company, offering hard disk drives (HDDs), optical disk drives (ODDs), solid state drives (SSDs) and NAND flash memories – technologies that drive a wide range of consumer electronics, computer and automotive applications, as well as enterprise solutions for the global marketplace. Through its Storage Device Division, Toshiba leads in the development, design and manufacturing of mobile, retail and enterprise hard disk drives. Toshiba SDD markets high-quality peripherals to original equipment manufacturers, original design manufacturers, value-added resellers, value-added dealers, systems integrators, distributors and retailers worldwide. Inherent in the Toshiba storage family are the high-quality engineering and manufacturing capabilities that have established Toshiba products as innovation leaders worldwide. For more information, visit www.toshibastorage.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.  Toshiba Corporation is a world leader and innovator in high technology, a diversified manufacturer and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products.  These products span from information and communication systems: digital consumer products; electronic devices and components; as well as power systems including nuclear energy; industrial and social infrastructure systems; and home appliances.  Toshiba was founded in 1875, and today operates a global network of more than 730 companies, with 199,000 employees worldwide and annual sales surpassing U.S. $67 billion (FY2008).  For more information on Toshiba's leading innovations, visit the company's Web site at www.toshiba.com.

© 2010 Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc.  All rights reserved.  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.

1. One Gigabyte (1GB) means 10^9 = 1,000,000,000 bytes and One Terabyte (1TB) means 10^12 = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes using powers of 10.  A computer operating system, however, reports storage capacity using powers of 2 for the definition of 1GB = 2^30 = 1,073,741,824 bytes and 1TB = 2^40 = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes, and therefore shows less storage capacity.  Available storage capacity (including examples of various media files) will vary based on file size, formatting, settings, software and operating system and other factors.
2. Examples of the number of photos, songs, movies, and any other files that can be stored on a hard drive are provided for illustrative purposes only.  Your results will vary based on file size and format, settings, features, operating system, software and other factors.
3. Source: IDC, Worldwide Hard Disk Drive 2009-2013 Forecast Update, December 2009.
4. Energy consumption efficiency is calculated in accordance with the Energy Consumption Law in Japan, which was enacted in 1979 to promote energy conservation and reduce energy consumption.  The energy saving law was most recently revised in 2009 with specific measurement criteria reflected in the specification indicated.    

SOURCE Toshiba Storage Device Division