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Samsung's 2.5-inch Spinpoint M8 1TB drive fits in your laptop, no cramming necessary
The trouble with high capacity hard drives is that they're about the size and weight of a brick, and just as bad for throwing in glass houses or ultrathin laptops. Samsung is slimming up the beastliest of disks though, with the just announced Spinpoint M8. Inside this 1TB drive are a pair of 500GB storage platters, instead of the three 334GB ones found in most storage solutions of this size. By using AFT, Advanced format technology, Sammy was able to up the storage density and trim its latest Spinpoint to a svelte 9.5mm thick (your average 1TB drive is 12.5mm). As an added bonus, the increased density also boosts performance and power efficiency since the drives heads need to move less. If you want to slap one in your notebook you can pick one up for $129, and we're sure a few of these will find a home those skinny "ultrabooks" that Intel has been talking up. Check out the PR after the break.
Samsung HDD manages 1TB per platter, areal-density enthusiasts rejoice
Solid state drives are the geek storage of choice, what with their quiet nature, blazing fast speed, and stunning good looks. However, the limited capacity and sky-high price of SSDs keeps many of us buying traditional disk-based storage solutions -- which is just fine considering Samsung keeps finding ways to fit more bits and bytes on every drive. Last year, Sammy's EcoGreen F4EG squeezed 2TB onto a 3-platter drive (or 667GB per platter), and now the company's primed to release a new series of Spinpoint drives with even greater areal density at a time and price that remains TBD. Whenever they do get here, the new HDDs promise to deliver up to 1TB per platter spinning at 5,400RPM -- meaning 4TB desktop drives and a terabyte of storage (courtesy of two 500GB platters) in standard-sized laptop HDDs. The 3.5-inch version packs a 32MB cache and SATA 6Gbps compatibility, while the 2.5-inch variety has an 8MB cache and a 3 Gb/s SATA interface. Knowing all that, only one question remains: could areal-density enthusiasts be the new pixel-density enthusiasts?
Samsung ships 1TB Spinpoint MT2 2.5-inch hard drive, but it won't fit in your laptop
So, we've good news and bad news. Given that we aren't accepting votes for which you'll be fed first, we'll go ahead and extol the virtues of cramming a full terabyte of space into a 2.5-inch form factor. Not that this feat hasn't been accomplished before, but the 2.5-inch 1TB HDD realm could certainly use the competition. Now, the rough part -- Samsung's Spinpoint MT2 boasts a 12.5mm height, which is 3mm too high for your existing laptop. Unless, of course, you're rocking one of those otherworldly Clevo machines with enough space for a Karmann Ghia in there. There's also the fact that it's humming along at just 5,400RPM and rocks just 8MB of buffer memory, meaning that this one's entirely more likely to find a home within a portable HDD case than inside of Apple's next MacBook Air. Oh, and there's no price being made public, but honestly, we're sort of glad Sammy didn't bother teasing us. Update: We're hearing that 12.5mm drives fit just find in Apple's newer unibody MacBook Pro machines.
Samsung's Spinpoint F4 320GB is fast and quiet, we think
You still rocking a desktop rig at home? Then you might want to check out Samsung's latest 3.5-inch spinner, the SpinPoint F4. The latest F-series drive features a 7,200 RPM platter rotation and 8MB/16MB buffer memory in capacities of up 320GB. While detailed performance specs aren't given, the SATA 3Gbps F4 has a one-head design with fewer moving parts (for quieter operation) delivering a 10% increase in read/write performance over Samsung's Spinpoint F1 while consuming 7% less power. Unfortunately, that's not very helpful for comparison against other manufacturers' drives now is it? Regardless, it's shipping to OEMs now.
Samsung's 1TB Spinpoint F3 hard drive serves 500GB per platter
Oh sure, Seagate did it first, but since when have we been ones to kvetch about one-upmanship? Over in South Korea, Samsung has debuted an all new high-density hard drive family for use in "high-end computing environments," or in more comestible terms, your next desktop / workstation. The Spinpoint F3 hums along at 7,200RPM, uses a 3Gbps SATA interface, packs 16/32MB of buffer memory and will be made available in sizes as large as 1TB by utilizing a pair of 500GB-per-platter disks. The boost in areal density provides up to 30 percent higher performance when compared to a three platter 1TB drive in the same 3.5-inch form factor, and the reduction in mechanical parts also makes it less likely to fail prematurely. Sammy isn't being too forthright when it comes to MSRPs, but those looking to snag one regardless can find the 500GB model on shelves now and the 1TB edition later next month.
Samsung's 250GB SpinPoint N3U has on-board USB, personal bonus card
It may not be the first 1.8-inch hard disk we've seen pushing a 250GB capacity, but damn if Samsung doesn't know how to market its tech. See, these drives are small as Samsung skillfully demonstrates by photographing its new Spinpoint N3U disk in front of a credit card. And by including a native PATA to USB controller on the circuit board, Samsung has helped manufacturers eliminate a bit bulk from future portable USB disk offerings. The 3,600rpm drive itself features 125GB per platter, 8MB of cache, and should be capable of withstanding drops from about 20-inches. At least it will when these begin shipping in mid-July for about $200.
Samsung's M7 500GB laptop drive can take a licking
While we've seen plenty of 500GB hard disks for laptops but Samsung's SpinPoint M7 is the first with the guts to call itself "rugged." The dual-platter, 2.5-inch drive spins at 5400rpm and features a 400G operational shock tolerance -- that's about 50G better than the claimed tolerances of other 500GB drives and 75G better than Sammy's own Spinpoint M6. Expect to see the M7 ship sometime this month.
Samsung's SpinPoint N2 drive gets a glossy black case
Samsung was pretty boastful about its high-capacity SpinPoint N2 1.8-inch drives when they launched back in June of 2007, and now the company's decided to show them off a bit -- check out this hot new credit-card-sized external model in glossy black with a flip-out USB connector. Specs are the same as before -- 4200rpm, 27MB/s read and 23MB/s write -- but sadly the most important spec is that it's China-only for now and pricing is in the stratosphere, with the 120GB version clocking in at RMB1999 ($293). Yeah, we'll stick with saving our pennies for an SSD.[Via Everything USB]
Samsung trumpets mass production of Spinpoint MP2 / M6 / F1 HDDs
Thanks to an overzealous e-tailer, we already knew that Sammy's Spinpoint M6 was ready to be ordered en masse, but Samsung has finally put out some official verbiage to substantiate the obvious. The outfit's 500GB Spinpoint M6 ($299) and 250GB Spinpoint MP2 ($199) are both shipping as we speak, and that curious sound you hear over there is your current laptop begging for a storage upgrade. On a slightly related note, the company is also announcing that its 7200RPM Spinpoint F1 RAID-class (F1R; pictured) 3.5-inch SATA drive has hit mass production, meaning that you can bulk up your enterprise storage solution 1TB at a time for $299 each.Read - Spinpoint MP2 / M6 hit mass productionRead - Spinpoint F1R hits mass production
Samsung stops teasing, brings SpinPoint M6 500GB Stateside
We know you've been sitting on your hands since January, waiting for Samsung to ship this SpinPoint M6 500GB, 9.5mm laptop drive wonder. That whole "released in France" thing was just rubbing it in your face, and we apologize, but it looks like your wait is finally over: OWC's Woot! shop has the drive for sale as of now. You can't buy one sans enclosure, but the $310 USB 2.0 + eSATA version or the $350 FireWire 800 / 400 + USB 2.0 version (there's also a $320 model) should prove useful in housing an old 2.5-inch drive, or perhaps an ant farm.[Thanks, Dan C.]
Samsung SpinPoint M6 500GB laptop drive finally on sale... in France
We've been wondering where Samsung's 9.5mm 500GB SpinPoint M6 laptop drive has been hiding, and it turns out that it's just been vacationing in France. No word on when these might make it Stateside, but if you're desperate (or French), your lappy can unbuckle that belt another notch or two for just €197 ($306).[Thanks, onceuponamac]
Samsung intros Spinpoint MP2, reiterates plans for 256GB SSD in 2009
Not quite a year after Samsung joyfully brought the Spinpoint MP1 into the world, the MP2 has arrived to rightfully take the baton. According to Sammy, the 2.5-inch drive is best suited in desktop replacement lappies, workstations and blade servers, and it's said to provide quicker read / write speeds than the 500GB M6 announced at CES. The 7,200 RPM drive is slated to land at $299, but an 80GB version will be available for a bit less cash, too. In less sluggish news, the firm has also restated its plans to deliver a 256GB SSD by 2009, and if you were looking for even more bulletin board material, Jim Elliott, vice president of memory marketing for Samsung Semiconductor, proclaimed that it was "trying to double SSD capacity every 12 months." Music to our ears? You bet.Read - Spinpoint MP2Read - Samsung's SSD plans
Samsung shows off world's biggest 1.8-inch drive: 160GB
Samsung seems hell-bent on cramming every bit of data it can onto a 1.8-inch drive platter -- just two months after announcing the former capacity champ 120GB SpinPoint N2, the company is pre-announcing a 160GB version. Other than the size, the essential stats remain the same: 4200RPM, 15ms seek time, sub-1W power consumption. No work on pricing or availability, but our 80GB iPod is beginning to look positively cramped.[Via TGDaily]
Samsung unveils panoply of DVD burners, hard drives
We already glanced at Samsung's SpinPoint F1, but the firm also let four other storage devices out of the bag (officially, at least) alongside its 1TB behemoth at its storage press conference in NYC. Up first is the SpinPoint N2 series of 1.8-inch HDDs, which offers up a "world's largest" 120GB flavor at 4200RPM for a dollar under $250. Catering to the 2.5-inch hard drive buyer, the MH80 lineup that we've been hearing about finally went official, and the "world's first" hybrid HDD to come in a 160GB iteration was introduced alongside a bevy of other SpinPoint M5 offerings ranging from 60GB to 250GB (in the dual-disk model). In the burning realm, the WriteMaster SE-T084L portable slot-loaded DVD writer enables USB disc writing with minimal fuss for just $150, while the $70 Super-WriteMaster SH-S203 SATA burner (falsely) claims the "world's fastest" title by churning out discs at 20x. Thankfully for those intrigued, all of the aforementioned devices are currently shipping, so snagging one (or more) in the near future ought not cause too much grief.
Samsung announces 1.8-inch 120GB disk for UMPCs and perhaps, iPods
Oh Samsung, you and your obsession with the "world's biggest" puts even Jersey girls to shame. Chalk-up two more this morning with the world's highest capacity 1.8- and 2.5-inch hard disk drives. We already knew they were working a 250GB version of their 2.5-inch, SATA 1.5Gbps (and PATA) SpinPoint M5 spinning at 5,400rpm. It'll bring an 8MB cache, 24dB whine when idle, 2W power consumption, and 12-ms average seek time when it hits later in the month. According to Samsung, that makes this the largest 2.5-inch disk in a 9.5-mm profile -- whatever. The newly announced 1.8-inch SpinPoint N2 however, brings a world's first 120GB capacity to portable handheld devices like UMPCs (pictured) and perhaps -- if Sammy is real lucky -- future iPods. As such, the N2 spins at 3,600rpm or 4,200rpm with a 15-ms average seek and sub-1W power consumption to help keep your portable device, portable. Production of the 1.8-incher begins in July although we're pretty sure they're already providing samples to OEMs. Hear that Apple? Your 80GB iPod is starting to smell a bit stale. At least toss in a 100GB Toshiba disk for all those movies you're trying to sell us.
Samsung's SpinPoint MP1 laptop drive: 200GB at 7200rpm -- a world's best
Samsung is launching a pair of 2.5-inch hard disk drives this morning for use by suits and regular ol' plebs. The business minded SpinPoint MP1 is the most interesting of the two by far, offering a massive 200GB of data spinning at a 7200rpm off a SATA 3.0Gbps interface -- an industry best. They say it's intended for enterprise RAID and blade servers but don't be surprised when people start bunging 'em into their laptops. The lowly SpinPoint M5 then, goes up to 160GB at 5400rpm with a SATA 1.5Gbps interface. However, Sammy wants you to know that a "dual-disk" model is under development offering up to 250GB of storage. Both will begin mass production in May for undisclosed prices. Read -- M5 Read -- M1
Samsung's silent and speedy SpinPoint S166 series of disks
Samsung is offering-up a heap of marketing spin along side their new 3.5-inch SpinPoint S166 series of hard disk drives. This time however, there's real truth to their ballyhoo. The new series of SATA 3.0Gbps drives feature a 7,200rpm spin, 8MB buffer, and manage to damp the noise level down to a mere 24/27.5 decibels at idle/seek. That's damn quiet for traditional desktop storage spinning at that speed. Watch for the drives to ship worldwide in 80GB and 160GB capacities sometime this month.
