Storage maker Hitachi has launched a new series of mobile 2.5″ harddrives named Travelstar Z5K that also opens up new possibilities for 3.5″ models. Through the fifth generation perpendicular recording technology it has managed to reach a storage density of 636Gb/squareinch, which makes it possible to reach 5TB at 3.5″.
Hitachi’s new mobile drives reaches up to 500GB at most with a single 2.5″ platter. Should the new perpendicular recording technology be used with 3.5″ platters these could reach up to 1TB per platter.
Current 3TB harddrives use 4 or 5 3.5″ platters, which with the new PR technology would result in 4TB or 5TB capacity.
Hitachi is first to market with 2.5″ drives at 500GB capacity with a single plattersand when or if it will move up the technology to 3.5″ we don’t know. According to analysts and its current progress we should expect some really spacious drives in 2011.
