Toshiba Storage Device Division (SDD), the industry pioneer in small form factor storage, today announced the development of a 0.85-inch hard disk drive (HDD), the first drive to deliver multi-gigabyte storage in a sub-one-inch form factor. Expected to be available in 2GB and 4GB capacities, Toshiba will start sampling the new drive in summer 2004, with mass production to begin in late 2004.

"Hard disk drive technology has migrated from the computer to digital music players to mobile phones and other portable gadgets that require meaningful storage capacities in a pocket-size form factor," said Amy Dalphy, manager, HDD business unit, Toshiba SDD. "Toshiba continues to lead and enable the market by expanding storage possibilities with gigabytes of capacity packed into a tiny hard disk drive that fits on your fingertip."

Measuring only a quarter of the size of Toshiba's 1.8-inch drive, the 0.85-inch HDD is expected to boost the functionality of a new generation of products, including mobile phones, digital audio players, PDAs, digital still cameras, camcorders and external storage devices. Toshiba initially plans to introduce capacities of 2GB and 4GB, and anticipates achievement of even higher densities in the 0.85-inch form factor.

Toshiba Creates the Market

Toshiba set the stage for small format HDDs in 2000 with a removable 1.8-inch PC Card HDD in a 2GB capacity. The company has subsequently rolled out a series of products that consistently helps customers to create groundbreaking, innovative and necessary products for today's mobile environment. Toshiba's 1.8-inch embedded drives are now available in 5GB, 10GB, 15GB, 20GB, 30GB and 40GB capacities and are the storage devices enabling some of the hottest portable products on the market.

A prototype of the 0.85-inch HDD will be shown at Toshiba's booth (#12214) on the CES show floor Jan. 8-11, 2004. For more information about Toshiba's 2.5-inch, 1.8-inch and 0.85-inch HDDs,visit www.harddrives.toshiba.com.

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0.85-inch HDD Target Specifications

Capacity 2GB(a) 4GB
No. of platters 1 1
No. of heads 1 2
Rotational speed 3,600rpm 3,600rpm
Voltage 3.3V 3.3V
Dimensions (HxWxD) 3.3 x 24 x 32 mm 5 x 24 x 32 mm
Weight Less than 10g Less than 10g
Shock Operating: 1,000g Operating: 1,000g
Operating Temperature 0-65 degrees C 0-65 degrees C

(a) Toshiba defines a megabyte (MB) as 1 million bytes and a gigabyte
(GB) as 1 billion bytes.

About Toshiba Storage Device Division

Toshiba SDD, a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., leads the market in the development, design and manufacturing of combination DVD/CD recordable drives and small form factor 0.85-inch, 1.8-inch and 2.5-inch hard disk drives. Toshiba SDD markets high-quality peripherals to original equipment manufacturers, value-added resellers, value-added dealers, systems integrators and distributors in the United States. Inherent in the Toshiba storage family are the high-quality engineering and manufacturing capabilities that have established Toshiba products as worldwide leaders. For more information, visit www.sdd.toshiba.com.

About Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. (TAIS)

With headquarteres in Irvine, TAIS is comprised of three divisions; Digital Products Division, Digital Solutions Division and the Storage Device Division. Together, the three divisions provide mobile products and solutions, communications, storage and imaging products and services. Products include industry-leading portable computers, PDAs, projectors, DVD/CD recordable products and hard disk drives for computers, telephony products, digital imaging systems, cable modems, servers, wireless solutions and services. TAIS provides sales, marketing and services for its wide range of information products in the United States and Latin America. TAIS is an independent operating company owned by Toshiba America, Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation, which is a world leader in high technology and integrated manufacturing of electrical and electronic components, products and systems. Toshiba has global sales of over $47 billion and more than 300 subsidiaries and affiliates worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.toshiba.com.