Just in time for the holidays. Wait. Who are we kidding here, Toshiba? Is anyone remotely excited about a 240GB 1.8-inch dual-platter HDD or a 120GB single-platter HDD? Yeah, I didn’t think so, but we’ll probably see these invading our PMPs, camcorders and UMPCs in the coming months.
IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ — 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.Product Specifications
Model Number MK2431GAH
Maximum Capacity (Formatted)(1) 240GB
Number of platters 2
Areal density 344 Gb/in(2)
Media transfer rate 488 Mbps
Average seek time 15 ms
Rotational speed 4,200 RPM
Buffer memory 8MB
Interface Parallel ATA (PATA)
Interface transfer rate 100 MB/sec
External dimensions (WxDxH; mm) 54.0mm x 71.0mm x 8.0mm
Weight (g) 59g (max)
Energy consumption efficiency 0.0013 W/GB
Shock resistance:
Operating 4,900 m/s(2) (500G, 2ms)
Non-operating 14,700 m/s(2) (1,500G, 1ms)Model Number MKxx31GAL Series
Maximum Capacity (Formatted)(1) 120GB/80GB
Number of platters 1
Areal density 344 / 229 Gb/in(2)
Media transfer rate 488 / 324 Mbps (max.)
Average seek time 15 ms
Rotational speed 4,200 RPM
Buffer memory 8MB or 256KB
Interface Parallel ATA (PATA)
Interface transfer rate 100 MB/sec
External dimensions (WxDxH; mm) 54.0mm x 71.0mm x 5.0mm
Weight (g) 48g (max.)
Energy consumption efficiency 0.0025W/GB, 0.0038W/GB
Shock resistance:
Operating 5,880 m/s(2) (600G, 2ms)
Non-operating 14,700 m/s(2) (1,500G, 1ms)