Toshiba announced it has surpassed the milestone of cumulative production of 10 million 1.8-inch hard disk drives (HDDs),

,demonstrating the success of this small form factor, high-capacity storage solution as the driving force behind many of today's most popular consumer electronics devices.

Toshiba's 1.8-inch HDD has enabled the introduction of mobile entertainment devices, handheld computers, ultraportable notebooks, portable handheld GPS units, MP3 players, automotive jukebox systems and other specialized digital products since its launch in 2000. The small form factor HDD delivers an unparalleled combination of high-performance and high-capacity storage, enabling product manufacturers to offer unprecedented functionality in these devices.

Beginning in second quarter of 2005, Toshiba's 1.8-inch HDD will get a boost in capacity to 40GB for single-platter drives followed by 80GB for dual-platter drives in the third quarter as it becomes the world's first HDD to incorporate Perpendicular Magnetic Recording (PMR).

"Toshiba has continued to drive innovation in small form factor HDDs, which has brought about this significant milestone for our 1.8-inch drive," said Scott Maccabe, vice president and general manager, Toshiba SDD. "The improvements to capacity and specifications made over the course of the 1.8-inch drive's history have broken barriers for HDD performance. The result is a 1.8-inch form factor that is the perfect fit for consumer electronics applications."

Toshiba's 1.8-inch HDD has been a key component for the company's expansion into the non-PC and consumer electronics space. As Toshiba's small form factor HDD technology continues its successful advancements in areal density through perpendicular magnetic recording, the company is enabling the transformation of basic electronics devices into powerful communication and entertainment tools.

Toshiba began mass production of the 1.8-inch HDD in 2000 with a removable 1.8-inch PC Card HDD in a 2GB capacity. The company has subsequently introduced a series of products that consistently push the borders of capacity and performance, including a 1.8-inch 5GB PC Card HDD and 1.8-inch embedded HDDs available in 5GB, 10GB, 15GB, 20GB, 30GB, 40GB, 60GB and 80GB capacities.

For more information about Toshiba's line of 1.8-inch HDDs, visit www.harddrives.toshiba.com.