IBM Corp has unveiled what it claims is the the highest capacity hard disk drive available for high-end notebooks, the 8.1Gb Travelstar 8GS. The new drive, measuring around two thirds of an inch thick and running at 4,900 RPM, is the first to exceed three billion bits per square inch on each of its platters says IBM. Also launched is the Travelstar 3GN, a lightweight 3Gb hard drive designed for use in the newer generation of super-slim portable PCs. It weighs 99 grams, runs at 4,200 RPM, and is just over a third of an inch thick. The 3GN, available in 3.2GB and 2.1GB versions, is shipping to OEMs now; the 8GS in 8.1GB and 6.4GB versions will ship by December. IBM says it will be using one or both of the drives in its own mobile machines starting this year. Other interested parties include Acer Inc, Dell Computer Corp, Gateway 2000 Inc and Micron Electronics.
