Toshiba has announced a 2.5" hard disk that uses its new 200GB disk platters, making them the first to break the 300GB per square inch density barrier for 2.5" hard disks.  While there are already 500GB 2.5" hard disks on the market, these currently use three 167GB platters.  200GB platters were widely used in desktop 3.5" hard disks last year, such as Hitachi's 1TB drive.

The company also plans launching 6 new 2.5" drives this autumn, of which its flagship model with a 400GB capacity and 7200rpm spindle will make use of two of these 200GB platters.  Like Western Digital's two platter 640GB drive, Toshiba claims that the two platter design will make the drive 20% more efficient over its 2.5" 320GB 5400RPM drive and nearly inaudible during seek operations.  Its other 5 drives will also feature a 7200rpm spindle, an optional Free Fall Sensor and capacity choices of 80GB, 120GB, 160GB, 250GB and 320GB.