Toshiba announces 240GB 1.8-inch HDD

Funny that Toshiba is announcing a 240GB 1.8-inch drive just a day after Microsoft took the Zune to 120GB and the same day Apple dropped the iPod classic's 160GB SKU -- doesn't seem like very many people need this much storage. Still, that's a lot of bits in a tiny drive -- and we'd bet that shoving one of these things in either an iPod or Zune wouldn't be too hard, modders. Hint, hint.

[burriot_avatar @ Sep 9th 2008 5:53PM]

Dammit, and I'm stuck with 160 GB of iPod Classic pr0n :(

[iRawr @ Sep 9th 2008 6:03PM]

at least you can watch it anywhere!! ;)

[ishism @ Sep 9th 2008 7:50PM]

this would go well with my 1st gen zune. Though, I can't bear to open up a perfectly good zune.

[Colin Potter @ Sep 10th 2008 4:12AM]

perfectly good zune? oxymoron?

[joey @ Sep 9th 2008 5:55PM]

Last!

[Hark @ Sep 9th 2008 5:59PM]

LOL.

So true. I love endless reply threads.

[404 @ Sep 9th 2008 6:00PM]

"Design elements incorporated in the 240GB MK2431GAH optimize power
performance to new levels with a 33 percent overall improvement in energy
consumption efficiency(2) over Toshiba's previous generation two-platter,
160GB 3,600 RPM 1.8-inch model."

Not to be sniffed at if it's true, I wonder how much MP3 battery life that equals.

[B.Cherry @ Sep 9th 2008 10:46PM]

Damn Apple! They really need to toss this 240GB in the 'ol 160GB shell. People keep sayin' you don't need all that space, but I look at it as a Portable Media Player/Portal Hard-drive. Every gigabyte counts when storin' data. Just think of all the yorno's, movies, music, and data one can have in their pocket!!!

[smugsnobbyapplefanboi @ Sep 9th 2008 6:02PM]

I wonder if this will work in my MacBook Air? It's perfect for netbooks too.

[burriot_avatar @ Sep 9th 2008 6:08PM]

It's unholy to put a Toshiba part into an Apple product. UNCLEAN!!!!

[unityblue @ Sep 9th 2008 6:21PM]

It's 8mm high, so it will work in the Lenovo X300, X301 series. Should also do just fine in a Macbook Air.

Unfortunatley, it's only 4,200 RPM, so it will cost you in performance.

[decypher44 @ Sep 9th 2008 6:20PM]

burriot, what the hell do you think were in the original iPods?

[Thi mam(kris120890) @ Sep 9th 2008 6:22PM]

Funny because its toshiba hard drives in the ipod classics

[Rob @ Sep 9th 2008 6:46PM]

@burriot_avatar:
Well, all the iPods I have been able to open up have Toshiba hard drives. So you may be a bit misinformed there.

[Brandon @ Sep 9th 2008 6:02PM]

I need to find a way to replace HD in my macbook air..

[bob @ Sep 9th 2008 6:32PM]

this undoubtedly will be the slightly thicker HD like in the bigger ipod classic so will NOT fit the air

[CaramelZappa @ Sep 9th 2008 6:04PM]

What's this? a 1.8" drive that can store all my music? Definately want to put this in my 80gb "classic"
Just need a different back panel

[jorvay @ Sep 9th 2008 8:34PM]

get a pooched 160gig classic on ebay for next-to-nothing and use that back plate. the 160gigs use the same thickness HD as this 240gig.

[Vesh @ Sep 9th 2008 6:07PM]

Dual platter of course, so wouldn't really fit except in the now discontinued 160GB iPod classic. The Zune's have always been single platter so wouldn't really fit too well in those either.

Guess you could rig something up if you're willing to go to the length of swapping the Hdd though...

Maybe it will find a home with Archos, etc.

[TJ @ Sep 9th 2008 6:09PM]

Too bad it looks like it's a 2-platter drive. Both the new Zune and iPod Classic are only thick enough to hold a 1-platter. I'm sure it would work in either player, but have fun getting the casing back together.

[barry99705 @ Sep 9th 2008 6:11PM]

Little jb-weld and it will be all good.

[airpolgas @ Sep 9th 2008 6:13PM]

I see a PS3 hard drive upgrade in the near future.

[TenaciousVD @ Sep 9th 2008 6:31PM]

not worth trying, different connection (this HDD is PATA, PS3 is SATA) and you can already upgrade the HDD in the PS3 to a 320gb (5400rpm) for between $100 and $150 already. Besides that, it wouldn't make sense to place a slower hard drive into the PS3 if games are going to be accessing it

[moo083 @ Sep 9th 2008 6:31PM]

Not really. The PS3 uses a 2.5" drive. I can get a 320 GB PS3 right now and a 500 GB soon. No need for expensive 1.8" drives.

[Jughead @ Sep 9th 2008 6:43PM]

or $94 for a 7200RPM 2.5" Seagate http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=208177962

[Peter @ Sep 9th 2008 6:19PM]

and it's only 4200rpm...

[Rhino @ Sep 9th 2008 6:23PM]

Looks to be GREAT option for my HD5.... if it is cheaper than a 1.8inch 32G SSD

[Ninjakamster (PS360 FTW!) @ Sep 9th 2008 6:25PM]

This won't work in the Macbook Air, it can only take 5mm 1.8" drives, this is 8mm. Thats why its been limited to 80gb HDD whereas the Vaio TZ for example so far has a 120gb 1.8" HDD.

[Ninjakamster (PS360 FTW!) @ Sep 9th 2008 6:34PM]

Oh yeah, but Toshiba has also released a single platter 120gb HDD alongside this dual platter 240gb that would work in the MBA.

[erik @ Sep 9th 2008 10:03PM]

Um.... Where did you see 8mm ?

External dimensions (WxDxH; mm) 54.0mm x 71.0mm x 5.0mm

[nizzy1115 @ Sep 9th 2008 6:25PM]

I want this in any mp3 player...i dont care who makes it apple, microsoft, creative...someone just do it soon! The only requirement i have for my "perfect" mp3 player is 200 ore more gbs of storage in a 1.8" size.

[Francis @ Sep 9th 2008 7:53PM]

I second that motion. And quickly please, before I have to hack apart a 160gb ipod classic to put this thing in it.

[Fanfoot @ Sep 10th 2008 12:11AM]

Obvious question...

Now that this is available, why isn't there somebody offering a service to upgrade existing iPod Classic 160GBs to this larger drive? I'm going to continue collecting video, music, etc and when my 160GB gets full, what am I supposed to do?

Could be that before this happens there will be single platter 250gb drives or whatever and Apple will upgrade the thinner classic again, but I'm thinking the classic may be nearing end of life here as the iPod touch size increases as well, so there might not be a larger iPod for quite some time...

C'mon... isn't there someplace equivalent to all the Tivo upgrade houses like WeakNees and so forth for the iPod?

[c. thomas @ Sep 9th 2008 7:34PM]

Now, if my 360 wasn't so stubborn when it comes to reading other hard drives. :/

[Francis @ Sep 9th 2008 7:51PM]

I have already ranted on the new iPod posting that I wanted MORE space, not less in this generation of iPods, so I wont bother with that again.

Perhaps this is a semi-viable option to the current conundrum that coopertino has placed me in. Buy a 160gb iPod classic (yay ebay), and swap this drive into it. presto, 240gb ipod classic, although it will be missing the new genius feature :(

[Fanfoot @ Sep 10th 2008 12:13AM]

Somebody has to be first...

I assume if you just backup your current iPod Classic 160gb, swap the drives, format the new one via Windows, then restore, that the new drive would work just fine. Possible that Apple's firmware wouldn't like the new drive of course, but hopefully not.

[Francis @ Sep 11th 2008 1:30PM]

I have no idea what is required to actually perform the swap, but that's never stopped me in the past. hell, this is easy, shouldnt even require the soldering iron :) .... but I am 95% sure its quite doable.

[Aaron Stein @ Sep 9th 2008 7:57PM]

"doesn't seem like very many people need this much storage. " - famous last words. i can remember saying that about my first 10 MEG hard drive, which was later tripled via a 20 MEG seagate 'hardcard'. Nobody can use more than that, right?

[DarkJesus @ Sep 9th 2008 8:56PM]

I haven't been following the progress of these hard drives in a while. I wonder if I could get this into an iaudio M5L.

[Valgas @ Sep 10th 2008 1:13AM]

First thingg that came to mind was Cowon and Netbooks.

[jawa_edan @ Sep 10th 2008 1:21AM]

Eee 901 owners (that has ZIF socket) rejoice ! but I still prefer a 16GB fast ssd than this.

[Omid @ Sep 10th 2008 6:53AM]

Lets Look at this ipod Photo : 30gb model available, 60gb Model available, 30x2=60!!
ipod Classic: 80gb Model Available, 160gb Model Available 80x2=160gb!!
ipod Classic v2: 120gb Available, 240gb?? 120gbx2 =??

Hmm!

[dave @ Sep 10th 2008 11:53AM]

Haha! This is where my Iriver H340 comes into play!!!

we use dual 1.8" drives. A little more bulky but who cares!

Iriver kicks Apples ass!! USB on the go FTW!!!!

[nicktherat @ Sep 10th 2008 12:25PM]

the comments are more handy then the stories themselves

[B.Cherry @ Sep 9th 2008 11:41PM]

Yeah, I really like hearin' about other people's opinions and what not! The bloggin' community is my second family!

[Julian Bond @ Sep 10th 2008 4:08PM]

(1) One Gigabyte (1 GB) means 109 = 1,000,000,000 bytes using powers of
10. A computer operating system, however, reports storage capacity using
powers of 2 for the definition of 1 GB = 230 = 1,073,741,824 bytes, and
therefore shows less storage capacity. Available storage capacity will also
be less if the computer includes one or more pre-installed operating
systems, pre-installed software applications or media content. Actual
formatted capacity may vary.

Just stop it. ok!

[AiboPet2003 @ Sep 10th 2008 4:53PM]

Pretty sure I couldn't use this in a Toshiba Libretto currently rocking a 60gig 1.8" drive. It takes ALOT of work to take this little toy apart, and it'll probly have the old "bunch of pins" PATA interface when I get there.

DO want !!

[Andrew @ Sep 10th 2008 9:33PM]

Finally!!!!!!!!! thank you Toshiba 160GB was too small for me.