Stefan Mileschin

Silent operation drives squeeze up to 1TB storage for thin PCs and laptops

Düsseldorf, Germany, 23rd October 2013 - Toshiba Electronics Europe (TEE) has launched a new family of small form factor 2.5-inch {6.4 cm} hard disk drives (HDDs) that pack up to 1TB[1] in a drive that measures just 7mm in height. Ideal for use in ultrathin laptops and thin PCs, the MQ02ABF series is designed for silent operation and low power consumption.



A thinner mechanical structure containing a new 5,400 RPM spindle motor is housed within a newly designed rigid chassis that keeps noise levels to 22dB during idle and 23dB during seek operations. Average drive ready time is just 3.0 seconds (typical) and average seek times are 12ms.



The MQ02ABF100 has a capacity of 1TB and the MQ02ABF075 a capacity of 750GB. Both drives are equipped with two storage platters and four data heads furnished with dual-stage actuators (DSAs).



The MQ02ABF series drives are supplied with 16MiB[2] of buffer memory and high-speed Serial ATA 3.0 (SATA 3.0) intelligent interface controllers with maximum operating speed of 6,0 Gbit/s.



The drives have an operational temperature range of 0-60°C (ambient) and can withstand shocks of up to 3,430 m/s2 {350G} while in use. Sample shipment of the new family of high-capacity, slim HDDs is scheduled to start in November.



About Toshiba Electronics Europe

Toshiba Electronics Europe (TEE) is the European electronic components business of Toshiba Corporation, which is ranked among the world’s largest semiconductor vendors. TEE offers one of the industry's broadest IC and discrete product lines including high-end memory, microcontrollers, ASICs and ASSPs for automotive, multimedia, industrial, telecoms and networking applications. The company also has a wide range of power semiconductor solutions as well as storage products like HDDs, SSDs, SD Cards and USB sticks.



TEE was formed in 1973 in Neuss, Germany, providing design, manufacturing, marketing and sales and now has headquarters in Düsseldorf, Germany, with branch offices in France, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. TEE employs approximately 300 people in Europe. Company president is Mr. Takashi Nagasawa.



For more company information visit TEE’s web site at www.toshiba-components.com



About Toshiba

Toshiba Corporation is a world-leading diversified manufacturer, solutions provider and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products and systems. Toshiba Group brings innovation and imagination to a wide range of businesses: digital products, including LCD TVs, notebook PCs, retail solutions and MFPs; electronic devices, including semiconductors, storage products and materials; industrial and social infrastructure systems, including power generation systems, smart community solutions, medical systems and escalators & elevators; and home appliances. Toshiba was founded in 1875, and today operates a global network of more than 550 consolidated companies, with 202,000 employees worldwide and annual sales surpassing US$74 billion.