Mitsubishi Electric Corp is claiming to have developed the slimmest 3.5 floppy disk drive yet – albeit by only by 0.008. The new MF355E drive is 0.58 thick, against 0.59 for the Citizen Watch Co drive that previously held the record, but the key difference is that Mitsubishi is using a direct-drive motor rather than the usual belt mechanism, which enables the motor to be mounted beside the spindle and platter rather than in the middle of it. According to Microbytes Daily, a belt-drive mechanism will work with disks storing up to 1.44Mb, but not with the new 2.88Mb format, which requires the speed and positioning accuracy of a direct-drive motor. Mitsubishi is however supporting only 1.44Mb writing; 2.88Mb will follow later. It is currently shipping samples, but full-scale production is being ramped up to start this month.
