Toshiba finally shipping 0.85-inch 4GB drives...delivery in 2007

Remember those Guinness Book of World Record setting 0.85-inch drives from Toshiba? You know, the ones that were hitting at the end of 2004 only to be delayed for mass production until the summer of 2005? Well, that very same 4GB 3600RPM spinner is now shipping. However, Tosh concedes that consumer electronics companies looking to actually mass produce product with the drives will have to wait until 2007 to take delivery. Jeepers. So what does Toshiba do after such a boondoggle? Easy, pledge to bump capacities to 10GBs using perpendicular recording techniques. Oh Toshiba, your insolent belief in the boundless possibilities of (your own) progress would make Bertrand Russell proud.

[Via PersonalTechPipeline]

[Boo Boo @ Jan 6th 2006 3:44PM]

Will someone please photoshop a quarter, dime or nickle over that coind so some of us will have the slightest clue as to how big it is?

[Kris @ Jan 6th 2006 3:57PM]

I'll take flash memory over this anyway. Duh.

[IK47 @ Jan 6th 2006 4:02PM]

the diameter of one 500 yaun coin is approx 10cm. '3" or so'

[Pyromaniaman @ Jan 6th 2006 4:06PM]

Yeah, or some coin from the UK :D that'd be handy!

[AkAk @ Jan 6th 2006 4:18PM]

The failure rate will be higher than flash. I'll take flash.

[Jason @ Jan 6th 2006 4:20PM]

Its sweeet that the photo is of a coin I have never seen so I really don't have any sense on how big this drive is. Anyone have this drive next to some good ol american money?

[TZK @ Jan 6th 2006 4:22PM]

At that point flash mem will be way cheap and at capacity to make this HDD irrelevant. Anyway..

[Mr The Plague @ Jan 6th 2006 4:27PM]

A 500 yen piece is about the size of a silver dollar in the US.

[Tranceglass @ Jan 6th 2006 4:28PM]

The 500 yen coin is approximately the size of a Krispy Kreme doughnut.

[Sheniferous @ Jan 6th 2006 4:33PM]

The 500 yen piece is 26.5mm in diameter, slightly larger than a US quarter at 24.26mm, slightly smaller than the UK 2 pound coin at 28.4mm.

[jnasato @ Jan 6th 2006 4:42PM]

"A 500 yen piece is about the size of a silver dollar in the US."



A 500 coin is more like a US quarter than a silver dollar, which is huge in comparison.



http://home.threeweb.ad.jp/english/jpncntrl/money/money_exp_g.html



Look at that url. The 10 yen coin is the same size as a US quarter.

[tiuk @ Jan 6th 2006 4:47PM]

And a silver dollar is.. how big?

[Wilson @ Jan 6th 2006 4:59PM]

Actually, the coin photographed is quite rare and about the size of a tractor tire.

[Rob @ Jan 6th 2006 5:02PM]

4gb in 2007. Ha, i think ill take a 4gb mini-sd when its released in 4 months time!

[cb4 @ Jan 6th 2006 6:02PM]

Bertrand Russell? All positivism. That make me choke and then grin. I think quoting BR is so retro that it's back in. Like drinking.

[jnasato @ Jan 7th 2006 12:27AM]

#10..

I was referring to the walking liberty, gargantuan silver dollar. There are many, but I was thinking of that one. Sorry.

[Murc @ Jan 7th 2006 12:31AM]

TO: #12



hey genious, how about you read the article...and not just its title?



It says 10 gigs.

[Peter Fuentes @ Jan 7th 2006 8:57PM]

If you really want to have an idea of how small the drive is, get a tape measure and multiply 32(32nd of an inch) X 0.85. That will give you the diameter of the drive in 32nds of an inch. 32 * 0.85 = 27.2. Now draw a circle with that diameter and you will have an exact size idea of the drive.

[Peter Fuentes @ Jan 7th 2006 9:05PM]

For those who are "size challenged" the size is between the size of a nickel and a quarter coins.

[dennis @ Jan 8th 2006 10:49AM]

0.75 is 3/4 inch & 0.859375 is 55/64 inch :P

[Oliver Timmermann, Griesheim @ Jan 11th 2006 7:14AM]

I think, i'll be using flash, too. But the price could make the difference..