May 10, 2000

TOSHIBA INTRODUCES WORLD'S HIGHEST-CAPACITY 1.8-INCH HARD DISK DRIVE AND 2.5-INCH HDDs WITH HIGHEST AREAL DENSITY

Larger capacities in small form factor and leading areal density bring functional storage options to a variety of new portable equipment

IRVINE, Calif., Toshiba America Electronics Components (TAEC), Storage Device Division today extended the scope of its industry-leading hard disk drive (HDD) product line with the introduction of its first 1.8-inch HDD, as well as new 2.5-inch drives offering the highest areal density on the market for portable computers.

The introduction of the 2-gigabyte, 1.8-inch HDD brings Toshiba performance to a much wider range of portable equipment. In addition, the company continues to pioneer 2.5- inch HDDs with a new generation of 10 and 20GB HDDs, as well as a 6GB HDD that provides an attractive alternative at an established capacity for the burgeoning entry-level market.

"With these introductions, Toshiba leads the way in providing mobile storage solutions that combine high capacity with rugged design and reliability," said Amy Lian, director of Toshiba's HDD business unit. "We are pleased to deliver 1.8-inch HDD technology that will provide the highest-capacity storage currently available in a small form factor for PC, non-PC and removable applications. In addition, our new generation of super-slim 2.5-inch HDDs with improved areal density enables portable PC users to keep pace with the latest advances in applications, while maintaining portability and increasing storage options."

The company's first 1.8-inch HDD, the MK2001MPL, provides PC Card Type II and ATA compliance in a single pin-selectable connector. The 1.8-inch HDD draws on the advanced technologies Toshiba has developed in 2.5-inch HDD to achieve a world-leading 2-gigabyte capacity in a drive that stands 5mm high and weighs only 55 grams.

Storage for Products Beyond the Portable PC
In addition to portable computer, removable and embedded applications, the 1.8-inch HDD can serve as a bridging device to transfer digital data from equipment such as video cameras and music players. Portable applications using the 1.8-inch HDD are supported by a drive voltage as low as 3.3V and a resistance to non-operating shock of 1,000G.

Toshiba's new line of 2.5-inch HDDs offers capacities of 20GB (MK2016GAP), 10GB (MK1016GAP) and 6GB (MK6015MAP). All are 9.5mm high and are the lightest high-capacity HDDs available for portable applications, with the top weight at only 98 grams. The MK2016GAP and MK1016GAP also feature a data capacity of 10GB on a single 2.5-inch disk, which translates to an areal density of 17.6 gigabits per square inch, the highest data density of any available HDD on the market. The 6GB MK6015MAP is designed to bring high-performance at an established capacity to the entry-level portable PC category, which is also expanding to include 10GB HDDs.

Production of the 1.8-inch MK2001MPL will begin in July, while production of the new 2.5-inch series begins this month.

2.5-inch HDD

Model No.	MK2016GAP	MK1016GAP	MK6015GAP
Capacity	20.003GB	10.056GB	6.007GB
No. of disks	2	1	1
No. of heads	4	2	2
Average seek time	13ms
Data transfer rate	66.7MB/sec (Ultra DMA)
Rotational speed	4,200rpm
Interface	AT(ATA-2/ATA-3/ATA-4/ATA-5)
Dimensions (WxDxH)	69.85 x 100.0 x 9.5mm
Weight	98g(Ave.)	92g(Ave.)	92g(Ave.)
Shock resistance (Half sine wave)	Non-operating: 700G(1ms)	Non-operating: 700G(1ms)	Non-operating: 700G(1ms)

Storage Device Division
TAEC Storage Device Division leads the market in the development, design and manufacturing of DVD-RAM, DVD-ROM, combination CD-RW/DVD-ROM and CD-ROM drives 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 company's product line is the high-quality engineering and manufacturing that has established Toshiba products as worldwide leaders.

About Toshiba
Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC) is the North American design, manufacturing, marketing and sales arm of Toshiba Corporation, a global technology innovator. TAEC is recognized as a leading supplier of semiconductor, electronic component and storage solutions. The company delivers technology solutions that enable OEMs to develop advanced integrated products for the computing, networking, communications and digital consumer markets. In fact, its technology offerings account for more than 30 percent of the total possible components used in desktop and portable computers. By continuing to develop leading-edge solutions that cost-effectively meet the emerging needs of the design engineering community, TAEC keeps its customers in touch with tomorrow. For additional information, please visit Toshiba SDD's Web site at http://www.sdd.toshiba.com.