Toshiba have demonstrated a world-first to rival any other at CES - a hard drive smaller than one inch across, suitable for mobile phones and PDAs.
The design, which measures 0.85 of an inch, easily beats its nearest size-rival, the long-running IBM Microdrive, which is a CF-Type II unit. Toshiba's design will initially be available in sizes of 2 GB and 4 GB commencing Summer 2004, with the units becoming widely available later in the year. Unlike the company's 1.8-inch design of up to 40 GB, which is accommodated in a PC-card format, the new unit is aimed squarely at the smallest of mobile devices. These include high-end mobile phones, digital cameras, PDAs, camcorders and portable music players. If the traditional problems of power usage and fragility associated with disk-based drives can be overcome, the cost-effectiveness of this design could have a large impact on the sales of large flash-based storage solutions. The unit, which runs at 3,600 rpm, draws 3.3 V of power and weighs less than 10 g, while the precise measurements are 5 x 24 x 32 mm. No pricing for the design has yet been announced.
