IBM Corp has come up with a laptop computer disk drive capable of storing 5Gb of data on a small device designed to bring desktop capabilities to mobile computing. The Travelstar 5GS drive measures 2.5 inches and will fit into most high end laptops, enabling users to operate complex multimedia or graphics applications and presentations. Travelstar has been based around IBM’s MRX Magneto Resistive Extended head technology, which trebles the amount of voltage generated from the head of older magneto resistive technology, providing users with a much more powerful signal. The company has also announced the Travelstar 4GT, a thinner 4Gb version of the 5GS model. IBM says technology such as MRX is the way forward when it comes to drives for laptop computing, and it already plans to make higher capacity Giant magneto resistive technology available in 1998/99. Peter Wild, Travelstar project manager, said the technology addresses the demands of changing data sources. He said: It’s the need to have not only more data, but data that is very rich. Both products will be generally available in July, the 5GS at a retail price of $550 and the 4GT at $440.
Content from our partners
