Toshiba Extends World Automotive Hard Disk Drive Market Leadership with New 30GB HDD; Fourth-Generation Automotive HDDs Provide Robust Solutions for Car Manufacturers and Aftermarket Suppliers

IRVINE, Calif.--Aug. 2, 20052, 2005--Toshiba America Information Systems (TAIS), Storage Device Division (SDD), the industry pioneer in small form factor hard disk drives, has introduced two 30GB 2.5-inch hard disk drives (HDD) for use in automotive entertainment, information and navigation applications. These fourth-generation automotive HDDs feature improved capacity and provide alternative temperature ranges to assist automobile manufacturers and aftermarket suppliers in designing robust digital devices for the car.

A leader in automotive-class HDDs, Toshiba commands 81 percent of the automotive HDD market in the first half of 2005 according to TSR and has shipped more than 2 million units to automotive manufacturers and head-unit manufacturers for OEM and aftermarket products. Toshiba's specialized HDDs feature enhanced temperature specifications and humidity control to provide unsurpassed reliability amid the extreme conditions of the automotive environment.

"HDDs are turning the car into the new digital living room," said Amy Dalphy, manager, HDD business unit, Toshiba SDD. "Toshiba has been on the forefront of this transformation as the founder of automotive-class HDDs. Our engineering teams have worked closely with the automotive industry to create right capacities and specifications that can meet the volatile temperature and vibration demands of this rugged environment."

Toshiba's line of automotive HDDs enable a variety of applications, such as GPS navigation, digital music and video, and other telematic systems. According to research firm IDC, the number of HDDs consumed for automotive applications will grow from 2.4 million in 2005 to 8.5 million in 2009, as automotive manufacturers, car dealers and aftermarket suppliers continuously introduce new digital devices that enhance the driver and passenger experience.

"The automotive HDD market has seen steady growth over the last few years with the addition of entertainment and navigation options now available to consumers. IDC expects the market for drives within the automotive sector to experience a 44 percent 2004-2009 CAGR(1)," said Dave Reinsel, director of storage research at IDC. "Drive vendors wishing to capture market share within this segment must have drives such as Toshiba's ruggedized automotive drive, specifically tailored to meet very demanding automotive environments."

The 30GB MK3029GACE and MK3029GAC:

Toshiba's 30GB 2.5-inch HDDs are currently shipping and support temperature ranges from -16 degrees to 70 degrees Celsius (MK3029GACE), and -20 degrees to 85 degrees Celsius (MK3029GAC). Measuring 69.84 mm wide, 100 mm deep and 9.5mm high, these HDDs weigh in at 96g and can withstand operational shock of 200g and non-operational shock of 800g, providing a rugged and dependable option for cars and SUVs as they travel through extreme temperatures and terrains across the globe.

Model no.                         MK3029GACE            MK3029GAC
Capacity                             30GB                 30GB
No. of platters                       1                    1
No. of heads                          2                    2
Average seek time                    16 ms                16 ms
Rotational speed                   4,200 rpm            4,200 rpm
Operation Temperature Range     -16 degrees C        -20 degrees C
                                  through +70          through +85
                                   degrees C            degrees C
Dimensions (W x D x H)      69.85 x 100 x 9.5 mm  69.85 x 100 x 9.5 mm
Weight                                96g                  96g
Buffer memory                        8 MB                 8 MB
Interface                            ATA-6                ATA-6
Shock                             Operating:           Operating:
                               1960 m/s2 (200g)     1960 m/s2 (200g)
                                Non-Operating:       Non-Operating:
                               7840 m/s2 (800g)     7840 m/s2 (800g)

About Toshiba Storage Device Division

Toshiba SDD, a division of Toshiba America Information Systems Inc., leads the market in the development, design and manufacturing of optical disk drives and small form factor 0.85-inch, 1.8-inch 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 Toshiba storage family are the high-quality engineering and manufacturing capabilities that have established Toshiba products as worldwide leaders. For more information, visit www.sdd.toshiba.com.

About Toshiba America Information Systems Inc. (TAIS)

With headquarters in Irvine, TAIS is comprised of three divisions: Digital Products Division, Digital Solutions Division and the Storage Device Division. Together, the three divisions provide mobile products and solutions, Internet access plans, communications, storage and imaging products and services. Products include industry-leading portable computers, projectors, DVD/CD-recordable products and hard disk drives for computers, telephony products, digital imaging systems, wireless solutions and services.

TAIS provides sales, marketing and services for its wide range of information products in the United States and Latin America. TAIS is an independent operating company owned by Toshiba America Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corp., which is a world leader in high technology and integrated manufacturing of electrical and electronic components, products and systems. Toshiba has global sales of over $52 billion and more than 300 subsidiaries and affiliates worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.toshiba.com. (1) Source, IDC Doc. #33432, "Worldwide Hard Disk Drive 2005-2009 Forecast: The Growth Is Sustainable, but the Industry is in Transition"