Irvine (CA) – Coinciding with the release of new iPods and Zunes, Toshiba is also offering new models of its mainstream 1.8” hard drives, which are now available as a 120 GB model and a massive 240 GB version. But Toshiba’s HDD storage division is feeling the heat from flash memory as both Microsoft and Apple are not buying all hard drive models anymore – and SSDs are expected to surpass the highest capacity of 1.8” drives for the first time later this year.
It has become a tradition that Toshiba is announcing new 1.8” hard drives at the same time as Apple is announcing a new iPod Classic. While not officially confirmed, Toshiba has been a key supplier of hard drives for Apple’s original iPod for some time. Last year, Apple upgraded its iPod Classic from 40 GB/80 GB to 80 GB / 160 GB and offered two different form factors of the Classic – one thin version with a single-platter 80 GB drive and one slightly thicker model with the 2-platter 160 GB drive.
For the new generation of iPods and Zunes, Toshiba upped the per-platter capacity from 80 GB to 120 GB, resulting in a stunning storage density of 344 Gb per square inch – the highest density offered in any hard drive today. The previous 80 GB/160 GB generation had a storage density of 228 Gb per square inch. In its single-platter 120 GB version, the drive is 5 mm thin; the 2-platter 240 GB model measures 8 mm.
What is different this time around is that Apple chose not to adopt the 2-platter hard drive anymore, corresponding to the announcement that the “thick” iPod Classic is history. It not only shows that Apple feels that 120 GB are more than enough, but is also one more step towards the cancellation of the hard drove iPod. The fixed form factor of a hard drive limits the product design of media player manufacturer and it is just a matter of time until hard drives are completely eliminated form this segment.
At least for now, media players with a focus on video playback won’t be going anywhere. Perpendicular magnetic recording technology is boosting storage capacities and providing a cheap mass storage technology. However, when it comes to pure capacity, consumer flash drives will be exceeding the storage space of 1.8” for the first time later this year. Samsung will be rolling out a 256 GB version of its MLC SSD in Q4, which, however, is likely to be at least 5-10 times as expensive as Toshiba’s 240 GB drive. Samsung has been mum on actual prices of the drive, but our industry sources indicate that the 256 GB SSD will cost less than $1000.
However, once flash memory with a capacity north of 64 GB will be more affordable, the Classic could be canceled. And if we believe our sources, that could be in 2010 – just around the 10th anniversary of the iPod.
It has become a tradition that Toshiba is announcing new 1.8” hard drives at the same time as Apple is announcing a new iPod Classic. While not officially confirmed, Toshiba has been a key supplier of hard drives for Apple’s original iPod for some time. Last year, Apple upgraded its iPod Classic from 40 GB/80 GB to 80 GB / 160 GB and offered two different form factors of the Classic – one thin version with a single-platter 80 GB drive and one slightly thicker model with the 2-platter 160 GB drive.
For the new generation of iPods and Zunes, Toshiba upped the per-platter capacity from 80 GB to 120 GB, resulting in a stunning storage density of 344 Gb per square inch – the highest density offered in any hard drive today. The previous 80 GB/160 GB generation had a storage density of 228 Gb per square inch. In its single-platter 120 GB version, the drive is 5 mm thin; the 2-platter 240 GB model measures 8 mm.
What is different this time around is that Apple chose not to adopt the 2-platter hard drive anymore, corresponding to the announcement that the “thick” iPod Classic is history. It not only shows that Apple feels that 120 GB are more than enough, but is also one more step towards the cancellation of the hard drove iPod. The fixed form factor of a hard drive limits the product design of media player manufacturer and it is just a matter of time until hard drives are completely eliminated form this segment.
At least for now, media players with a focus on video playback won’t be going anywhere. Perpendicular magnetic recording technology is boosting storage capacities and providing a cheap mass storage technology. However, when it comes to pure capacity, consumer flash drives will be exceeding the storage space of 1.8” for the first time later this year. Samsung will be rolling out a 256 GB version of its MLC SSD in Q4, which, however, is likely to be at least 5-10 times as expensive as Toshiba’s 240 GB drive. Samsung has been mum on actual prices of the drive, but our industry sources indicate that the 256 GB SSD will cost less than $1000.
However, once flash memory with a capacity north of 64 GB will be more affordable, the Classic could be canceled. And if we believe our sources, that could be in 2010 – just around the 10th anniversary of the iPod.