The drive, named the Nitro (because it's as fast as nitrogen? Is nitrogen fast?), is the first to hit the impressive barrier of this size and capacity, achieved through an ultra-thin enclosure and some innovative data storage architecture. Four of these drives can fit in the same space as one 3.5" drive, and pureSilicon claims its speed "approaches" the SATA II max of 300 MB/s. Unfortunately, it's targeted at servers and other large dull users like the military, rather than a sweet new consumer laptop. But now that the bar is lifted yet again, we're that much further along our quest for the One True Drive. The Nitro should be released sometime this year for an undisclosed price. [pureSilicon via MSNBC]

DVDTALK
GREEN
SUPERSALE
USATODAY
NYTIMES
LATIMES
SOUTHSIDE
PRICEGRABBER
SAVE
DD1109
PRICESEARCH
SUMMERSALE
ESPN
YAHOO
JIM
WGN

[Get them here via PS3 Fanboy]

This is good news for near-future UMPCs and refreshes of subnotebooks like the MacBook Air. Also, though Toshiba stresses the PC application, these more rugged and less power-hungry drives may even be the key to reducing lag in portable media players (ahem, iPod classic) too.

TOSHIBA introduces high-performance 5,400 RPM 1.8-inch HDDs with micro-sata connector

New 1.8-inch Products Feature High Capacity at 120GB and 80GB and

Enhanced Performance for Ultra-Portable PC Solutions

IRVINE, Feb. 25, 2008 - Toshiba Storage Device Division (SDD), the industry pioneer in small form factor hard disk drives (HDDs), today added a line of high-performance 5,400 RPM Serial ATA (SATA) 1.8-inch HDDs to its product offerings for mobile PCs. Available in 120GB1 and 80GB capacities, these new HDDs integrate design elements from Toshiba's flagship 2.5-inch line into its proven 1.8-inch platform to offer enhanced performance for ultra-thin and light PC applications.

These new 1.8-inch HDDs leverage the interface architecture from Toshiba's 2.5-inch SATA HDDs, which carry the industry certification for SATA compliance, providing seamless compatibility across Toshiba's full line of SATA HDDs. The combination of 5,400 RPM spin speeds with SATA features expands Toshiba's market-leading 1.8-inch product lineup into the high-performance segment of the growing ultra-portable computing market.

Toshiba's 120GB MK1216GSG and 80GB MK8016GSG 1.8-inch HDDs are designed to the latest SATA 2.6 specification and incorporate the new industry-standard micro-SATA connector. Features include native command queuing, staggered spin-up and hot-plug capability. These ultra-slim storage solutions deliver both high performance and power efficiency, providing computing capabilities traditionally found in desktop and notebook PCs - all in a lightweight design at 62 grams. Toshiba's 1.8-inch HDDs feature an 8MB cache to optimize read and write performance and fully utilize the 489 Mbits/sec data transfer rate for a powerful computing experience in thin and light mobile computers.

In addition to spurring miniaturization and mobility for PC devices, 1.8-inch HDDs deliver improved ruggedness at capacity levels popular in larger form factors. Toshiba's introduction of high-capacity 5,400 RPM 1.8-inch HDDs reflect the market's voracious appetite for storage as broadband Internet and powerful media-rich applications bring new capabilities to mobile PCs, enabling consumers to take advantage of digital content on the go. The new 1.8-inch HDDs also provide improved shock tolerance over best-in-class 2.5-inch HDDs by more than 100Gs during operation and several hundred Gs in non-operating mode, making them ideal for highly mobile PC users.

"The portable computing market is looking for an uncompromised computing experience in small and light-weight storage solutions," said Maciek Brzeski, vice president of marketing at Toshiba Storage Device Division. "With enhanced features for the mobile environment, these new 1.8-inch HDDs enable mobile system manufacturers to reap the benefits of high-capacity magnetic storage, along with better power efficiency and ruggedness."

Delivering Industry-leading 1.8-inch HDDs

With over 60 million 1.8-inch HDDs shipped since 2000, Toshiba has consistently held the number one position in the 1.8-inch HDD segment according to IDC2. Toshiba's product leadership in the 1.8-inch market has helped fuel the digital product revolution in both PC and CE devices, with capacity points traditionally seen in mobile 2.5-inch and desktop HDDs, while delivering better power efficiency, improved ruggedness and quieter acoustics during system operation.

Toshiba will showcase its new 1.8-inch HDDs at the Intel Mobility Summit in Shanghai, China, February 26 - 29, 2008. Toshiba's new 1.8-inch HDDs will begin shipping to mobile PC manufacturers and distribution partners in April 2008. Interested developers and design engineers can visit www.toshibastorage.com for more information on Toshiba's line of industry-leading 1.8-inch HDDs.