Toshiba announced new additions to its 1.8-inch Serial ATA HDD product line, covering the full range of mobile computing applications. The introductions include a high-performance 5,400 RPM family, offering an industry-leading 320GB capacity, as well as a power-efficient, slim 4,200 RPM model with 120GB of storage for applications that require low-power consumption and an ultra-compact form factor.

Toshiba has designed these 1.8-inch HDD products to meet a variety of mobile computing needs based on specific market requirements. With high capacity and top-end performance, the MKxx33GSG series is available in 320GB, 250GB and 160GB capacities and uses 42 percent less power during seek operations than best-in-class 5,400 RPM 2.5-inch HDDs. The single-platter 120GB, MK1235GSL is the most power-conservative HDD on the market and offers a high-capacity, low 5-millimeter profile for battery-conscious ultra-mobile computers.

Significantly surpassing 2.5-inch HDDs in durability, Toshiba’s 1.8-inch HDDs can tolerate up to 1,500Gs of non-operational shock and 500Gs of operational shock, which are 50 percent and 25 percent more durable than the most rugged 2.5-inch HDDs. As a result of this extreme ruggedness, 1.8-inch HDDs have been incorporated into some of the most demanding applications for shock and vibration.

Designed for performance, the high-end SATA MKxx33GSG line provides speedy access to data with its 16MB cache buffer, 5,400 RPM rotational speed and disk transfer rates of up to 830 Mb/second. At 320GB, the highest-capacity model in the family can store up to either 90,000 digital photos, 84,000 digital music files or 260 downloaded digital videos – all in a storage device about the size of a credit card.

Built on a technology platform utilizing 160GB per disk, this high-performance HDD family is ideally suited for thin-and-light mobile PCs, ruggedized mobile PCs, mini-notebooks and external add-on storage solutions.

The single-platter 120GB MK1235GSL offers a cost-effective solution for manufacturers looking to make the most of small form factor mobile applications. Its slim 5-millimeter and ultra-low power, 4,200 RPM design make the MK1235GSL SATA HDD an optimum choice for compact, power-efficient products, such as smartbooks, netbooks or battery-conscious mini-notebooks, as well as converged devices leveraging touch-screen technology.

To ensure the highest level of interoperability with other host system components, both the MKxx33GSG and MK1235GSL HDDs have successfully completed strenuous verification testing by industry-designated SATA Interoperability Labs. As a result, these HDDs carry the certified SATA mark of compliance award issued by the Serial ATA International Organization, the industry committee governing the standards for SATA technologies and specifications.

The MK1235GSL series is currently shipping in volume production, while the MKxx33GSG is scheduled to enter mass production in early December.