Toshiba Prototypes 120 GB 1.8

[MacRumors]

Toshiba has announced a prototype 1.8" HDD that fits 120 GB on a single platter via a breakthrough called Discrete Track Recording (DTR). The drive uses the same form factor currently used in Apple's iPod classic.

Currently, Apple uses an 80 GB single-platter drive for its thinner model and a 160 GB dual-platter drive for its slightly thicker model. Toshiba's technology would allow single-platter models to achieve 120 GB densities, with a dual-platter option going as high as 240 GB.

Toshiba plans to begin mass producing the drives in 2009.

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[apachie2k]

is it just me or has the HD dev. process slowed down a bit? When will it be an option to have say, 1 TB in a laptop?

[nemaslov]

OK NOW FOR THE ONSLAUGHT OF COMMENTS OF HOW WE DON'T NEED BIGGER STORAGE IN OUR IPODS.

Anyway I just got my engraved 160GB iPod Classic this morning. I have 100GB of music on my Mac and my 80 was bursting at the seams. It did notice as I began the long syncing process that there is ONLY slightly more that 148 GB of actual open space after the software :-(

Oh well.... waiting now for the 240GB Classic. Hope they always keep at least one large storage version "in print" even as they expand those Touch Flash pods.

Us real music junkies always need more room. There is NEVER enough space. And if you say it again, that I should just choose playlists, I would respond, you never know what music mood you are in at any given time, so having it all with you is pure bliss!!!

[sam10685]

Is there a triple-platter one? A 240 gig ipod is tiny.

[earnjam]

I agree. While I don't have 100GB of music, I do have about 40GB. I like being able to just hit shuffle on my 80GB iPod I got a year ago. It's the best radio station in the world. Plays all genres and anything I like with no commercials.

That being said, I have an 8GB iPhone and I feel like it has plenty of space.

To each his own.

[tkidBOSTON]

Wow, over a year until they're produced in mass quantities?
Anyone know if Apple has begun using the drives in the past before they were "mass produced" by manufacturers?

[Karpfish]

Well considering 1TB drives are farily new in Desktop size, it will still be some time before it hits 2.5" laptop drives. They need to hit 500 first.

[JPyre]

Personally I wish magnetic drives would just die, it's like 70 yo technology they're still using. Why is it taking soo long for flash to catch up would be a better question. Toshiba offers a laptop with dual drives, but they max out at 160GB a piece, I'm not sure if anyone makes a 500GB laptop drive to swap in, seagate maxes out at 160, western digital at 250...

[SthrnCmfrtr]

2009, eh? Why do I get the sneaking suspicion that something bigger will be out sooner?

Bring on the flash.

[Squonk]

And I thought 160GB was big. A 240GB is a nice next bump up. The 160GB would hold me for a while, certainly long enough until the 240's come out.

[nagromme]

In 2009, we'll all be fondly reminiscing about back when we actually used spinning magnetic discs for things.

[vintagetobes]

Originally Posted by nemaslov

OK NOW FOR THE ONSLAUGHT OF COMMENTS OF HOW WE DON'T NEED BIGGER STORAGE IN OUR IPODS.

Anyway I just got my engraved 160GB iPod Classic this morning. I have 100GB of music on my Mac and my 80 was bursting at the seams. It did notice as I began the long syncing process that there is ONLY slightly more that 148 GB of actual open space after the software :-(

Oh well.... waiting now for the 240GB Classic. Hope they always keep at least one large storage version "in print" even as they expand those Touch Flash pods.

Us real music junkies always need more room. There is NEVER enough space. And if you say it again, that I should just choose playlists, I would respond, you never know what music mood you are in at any given time, so having it all with you is pure bliss!!!

A quick sum reveals you have (very) roughly 2,000 cds. Assuming each one measures about 1cm across (a little less really), we are talking just less than 20m of shelf space. Of course you may have bought songs on itunes, in which case a cost figure would be equally alarming. The last option is illegal downloads... Apple doesn't need to keep increasing the size of its classic ipod since there are only a few people who are actually able to fill the new once with legal purchases. Otherwise they might be seen to be ecouraging illegal downloads on a huge scale.

Of course there is the arguement that people will start ripping music at a higher bit rate. But theres a limit to how much people can do that with the popularity of laptops these days and their limited space.

[kddpop]

until flash can compete, this is great news.

flash is better technology but limited by size. that's why im leaning toward a classic over an ipod touch. i need the room.

~kyle

[quigleybc]

can I get one implanted into my brain?

i think it would help....

[zwida]

Originally Posted by vintagetobes

A quick sum reveals you have (very) roughly 2,000 cds. Assuming each one measures about 1cm across (a little less really), we are talking just less than 20m of shelf space. Of course you may have bought songs on itunes, in which case a cost figure would be equally alarming. The last option is illegal downloads... Apple doesn't need to keep increasing the size of its classic ipod since there are only a few people who are actually able to fill the new once with legal purchases. Otherwise they might be seen to be ecouraging illegal downloads on a huge scale.

Of course there is the arguement that people will start ripping music at a higher bit rate. But theres a limit to how much people can do that with the popularity of laptops these days and their limited space.

Fine, fine, but what about video?

[raggedjimmi]

Originally Posted by vintagetobes

A quick sum reveals you have (very) roughly 2,000 cds. Assuming each one measures about 1cm across (a little less really), we are talking just less than 20m of shelf space. Of course you may have bought songs on itunes, in which case a cost figure would be equally alarming. The last option is illegal downloads... Apple doesn't need to keep increasing the size of its classic ipod since there are only a few people who are actually able to fill the new once with legal purchases. Otherwise they might be seen to be ecouraging illegal downloads on a huge scale.

Of course there is the arguement that people will start ripping music at a higher bit rate. But theres a limit to how much people can do that with the popularity of laptops these days and their limited space.

People like you make me laugh. ¨oh you have a big library so it must be illegal¨, guess what? Years ago my dad started ripping his record library. Literally thousands of the things. I love his music so it's on my iPod now. I also bulk out my iTunes library with video. Say hello space waster! films at a quality and resolution to look good on my LCD monitor and my iPod take up about 700mb per film. Fancy doing some maths at how many films I have?

Running past the silly comments. I'd love a 240gb iPod. I use my iPod as an external HDD, I want to carry my whole iTunes library (wouldn't even be possible with a 160gb iPod now, I'm at 190gb - without photos.) since I travel a fair bit.

Roll on 2009! Shame flash can't hold much really. I threw up a little when they announced tha 16gb Touch

[majordude]

Originally Posted by nemaslov

Anyway I just got my engraved 160GB iPod Classic this morning.

160GB?! I only have a 60GB!! I demand a free upgrade or a refund! Boycott Apple! Start a class action lawsuit!

Oops, wrong thread.

Originally Posted by nemaslov

There is NEVER enough space. And if you say it again, that I should just choose playlists, I would respond, you never know what music mood you are in at any given time, so having it all with you is pure bliss!!!

There is a BIG difference between saving files as 128 mp3 versus Apple lossless. I have all my CDs saved as lossless and the songs take up a lot of disk space.

[macintel4me]

50% HDD capactiy is something, but Toshiba really needs the killer app for this outside of individual music libraries bigger than Motown.

[nemaslov]

Originally Posted by vintagetobes

A quick sum reveals you have (very) roughly 2,000 cds. Assuming each one measures about 1cm across (a little less really), we are talking just less than 20m of shelf space. Of course you may have bought songs on itunes, in which case a cost figure would be equally alarming. The last option is illegal downloads... Apple doesn't need to keep increasing the size of its classic ipod since there are only a few people who are actually able to fill the new once with legal purchases. Otherwise they might be seen to be ecouraging illegal downloads on a huge scale.

Of course there is the arguement that people will start ripping music at a higher bit rate. But theres a limit to how much people can do that with the popularity of laptops these days and their limited space.

OK here is the deal. I have about 4000 Vinyl LPs and about 10,000 CDs. I am probably twice your age so have been collecting for a very long time. I probably have purchased 400 songs from iTunes but prefer to buy CDs due to the quality and packaging. I might have several thousand digital songs that are considered illegal but they are all rare or bootlegs. Basically things not officially released. None were illegal copies of official releases.

I love all genres. Obviously not every band or artist within each, but always open to artists that push and experiment. I also love the great POP singles (Summer in the City a ****in great record) and so on. And yes I want the best audio reproduction I can within the limits we have.

I find is so important to support musicians and pay for music whenever possible. I can afford it. But I started out working in record stores so promos added to my collection. I go to a record store once a week. Amoeba in San Francisco which I feel is the only great store left. In Towers hey day, my friends and I would meet there every New Release Tuesday to feed our habits.

I totally understand that most people don't need to take it all with them. All my music is at home and streams from my mac to a great stereo almost all day and night. Yes I still play the Vinyl and CDs for better quality too.

But my big iPod stays with me at my studio and I take it when I travel. There will never be a POD to hold my entire collection, but these classics with more storage, allow for me to have a pretty good representation of all the sounds I like. With me wherever I am!!!

[vintagetobes]

Its nice to see a true audio fan. I apologize for assuming otherwise.

[SthrnCmfrtr]

Originally Posted by majordude

There is a BIG difference between saving files as 128 mp3 versus Apple lossless. I have all my CDs saved as lossless and the songs take up a lot of disk space.

I hear that. Plus you might want to listen to a 5.1 release of a given album at home, with your surround system, but only stereo on the go.

I mean, in my main library I have about 140GB, last I checked, but only 4,000 songs. Sure, it's a couple hundred CDs, but nothing extravagant. According to Apple I should have, what, over 33,000 if I used 128K AAC?

[nemaslov]

Originally Posted by raggedjimmi

People like you make me laugh. ¨oh you have a big library so it must be illegal¨, guess what? Years ago my dad started ripping his record library. Literally thousands of the things. I love his music so it's on my iPod now. I also bulk out my iTunes library with video. Say hello space waster! films at a quality and resolution to look good on my LCD monitor and my iPod take up about 700mb per film. Fancy doing some maths at how many films I have?

Running past the silly comments. I'd love a 240gb iPod. I use my iPod as an external HDD, I want to carry my whole iTunes library (wouldn't even be possible with a 160gb iPod now, I'm at 190gb - without photos.) since I travel a fair bit.

Roll on 2009! Shame flash can't hold much really. I threw up a little when they announced tha 16gb Touch

... i thank you for support. and yes my 16 year old son has his pod full of our collective music too. We turn each other on to all kinds of stuff. Much from me....stays in the family. Thanks for the big pod support!!!

[SthrnCmfrtr]

Originally Posted by nemaslov

... i thank you for support. and yes my 16 year old son has his pod full of our collective music too. We turn each other on to all kinds of stuff. Much from me....stays in the family. Thanks for the big pod support!!!

You mean he doesn't have his own copies?
</RIAA>

[nemaslov]

Originally Posted by vintagetobes

Its nice to see a true audio fan. I apologize for assuming otherwise.

no apologies necessary. But for me the pod is only for music. I could give a crap of watching anything on my pod....

[nemaslov]

Originally Posted by SthrnCmfrtr

You mean he doesn't have his own copies?
</RIAA>

Screw the RIAA. They helped destroy the record business.

These are mostly from our CDs but even iTunes allows you to put the purchased music on up to five devices. I only have one son....