Toshiba announced its first 2.5-inch hard disk drives (HDDs) featuring capacity up to 1TB using 500GB/platter technology.

For more information visit: www.toshibastorage.com

Unedited press release follows:

Toshiba Boosts Performance with Industry-Leading Areal Density on 1TB 2.5-Inch Hard Disk Drive for PC and Consumer Electronics Applications

Industry-Leading Recording Density Delivers the Best Combination of Capacity, Performance, and Reliability in the Standard 9.5mmH Form Factor

IRVINE, Calif.–Toshiba today announced its first 2.5-inch hard disk drives (HDDs) featuring capacity up to 1TB*using 500GB*/platter technology in the industry-standard 9.5mm high form factor. With an industry-leading areal density of 744Gb/in2, Toshiba has increased the quantity of data stored per square inch by over 37 percent compared to prior 2.5-inch models, enabling a significant boost in data transfer speed. Available in capacities ranging from 1TB to 250GB, the MQ01ABD series provides the capacity, performance, and power efficiency necessary for even the most data-intensive and energy-sensitive mainstream storage applications.

The MQ01ABD drives are ideal for high-end notebook and desktop PCs, mobile workstations, gaming consoles, DVR set-top boxes, external storage solutions, and other applications requiring high-capacity and cost-effective storage. In addition to delivering best-in-class storage density, which contributes directly to increased performance, Toshiba’s MQ01ABD series HDDs have been engineered for superior energy efficiency — the series HDDs consume only 0.55watts during idle mode. The MQ01ABD drives also offer improved acoustic performance, emitting a maximum of 19dB at idle and 24dB during seek operations. This combination of areal density, power utilization, and acoustic performance enables PC and consumer electronics makers to build differentiated systems based on capacity, performance, heat dissipation, and power efficiency.

“Hard disk drives offer the best value for digital data storage by providing the highest combination of capacity, performance, cost and data reliability,” said Joel Hagberg, vice president of product marketing, Storage Device Division of TAIS. “The creation of rich content by consumers and businesses continues to push the demand for storage capacity. The Toshiba MQ01ABD series provides not only the capacity and performance required by notebook and PC manufacturers, multimedia professionals, multi-room set-top-box and other power users, but also the benefits of a low-power, environmentally friendly drive.”

The MQ01ABD series drives continue Toshiba Corporation’s global commitment to design, develop, manufacture, and distribute Environmentally Conscious Products (ECPs) with minimal environmental impact.

ECPs are products that are designed to be environmentally conscious in all stages of their life cycle, including the procurement of materials, manufacturing, distribution, use, disposal, and recycling. The environmentally conscious product design has three aspects: mitigation of global warming, efficient use of resources, and management of chemicals. Toshiba Group will continue to create ECPs designed to be environmentally conscious in all these aspects through all stages of their life cycle by setting independent environmental standards (ECP standards) for each product.** As a result of this voluntary initiative, Toshiba has eliminated or reduced multiple hazardous substances from all components in the MQ01ABD series drives.***

Mass production of the MQ01ABD series will start in the middle of August. For more information on the Toshiba line of industry-leading small form factor HDDs, visit www.toshibastorage.com.

About Toshiba Storage
Toshiba is a one-of-a-kind global storage company, offering hard disk drives (HDDs), optical disk drives (ODDs), solid state drives (SSDs) and NAND flash memories – technologies that drive a wide range of consumer electronics, computer and automotive applications, as well as enterprise solutions for the global marketplace. Toshiba leads in the development, design and manufacture of mobile, retail and enterprise hard disk drives. In North America, the Storage Device Division of TAIS markets high-quality storage peripherals to original equipment manufacturers, original design manufacturers, value-added resellers, value-added dealers, systems integrators, distributors and retailers worldwide. Inherent in the Toshiba storage family are the high-quality engineering and manufacturing capabilities that have established Toshiba products as innovation leaders worldwide. For more information, visit www.toshibastorage.com.

About Toshiba
Toshiba is a world leader and innovator in pioneering high technology, a diversified manufacturer and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products spanning digital consumer products; electronic devices and components; power systems, including nuclear energy; industrial and social infrastructure systems; and home appliances. Toshiba was founded in 1875, and today operates a global network of more than 730 companies, with 204,000 employees worldwide and annual sales surpassing 6.2 trillion yen (US$75 billion). Visit Toshiba’s web site at www.toshiba.co.jp/index.htm.

About Toshiba America Information Systems Inc. (TAIS)
Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., TAIS is comprised of four business units: Digital Products Division, Imaging Systems Division, Storage Device Division and Telecommunication Systems Division. Together, these divisions provide mobile products and solutions, including industry-leading portable computers; televisions, TV/DVD Combination products, Blu-ray Disc and DVD products and portable devices; imaging products for the security, medical and manufacturing markets; storage products for automotive, computer and consumer electronics applications; and telephony equipment and associated applications.

TAIS provides sales, marketing and services for its wide range of products in the United States and Latin America. TAIS is an independent operating company owned by Toshiba America, Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation. Toshiba is a world leader and innovator in pioneering high technology, a diversified manufacturer and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products spanning information and communications systems; digital consumer products; electronic devices and components; power systems, including nuclear energy; industrial and social infrastructure systems; and home appliances. Toshiba was founded in 1875, and today operates a global network of more than 740 companies, with 204,000 employees worldwide and annual sales surpassing 6.3 trillion yen (US$68 billion). For more information on Toshiba leading innovations, visit the company’s web site at www.toshiba.com.

© 2011 Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. All product, service and company names are trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. Information including without limitation product prices, specifications, availability, content of services, and contact information is subject to change without notice.

* One Terabyte (1TB) = 1,000 Gigabytes (GB). One Gigabyte (1GB) means 109 = 1,000,000,000 bytes using powers of 10. A computer operating system, however, reports storage capacity using powers of 2 for the definition of 1GB = 230 = 1,073,741,824 bytes, and therefore shows less storage capacity. Available storage capacity will also be less if the computer includes one or more pre-installed operating systems, pre-installed software applications, or media content. Actual formatted capacity may vary.

** Please refer this site for ECP information. http://www.toshiba.co.jp/env/en/products/index.htm

*** Hazardous substances that have been eliminated or significantly reduced in the MQ01ABDxxx series drives include bromine, chlorine, antimony, red phosphorous, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and brominated flame retardants (BFRs). Toshiba also ceased use of the six substances banned by the European Union Directive on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) in all new products, achieving full compliance with the RoHS Directive before the requirement came into effect in July 2006.

****Energy consumption efficiency is calculated in accordance with the “Law concerning the Rational Use of Energy” (Energy Conservation Law) in Japan, which was enacted in 1979 to promote energy conservation and reduce energy consumption. The energy saving law was most recently revised in 2011 with specific measurement criteria reflected in the specification indicated.