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Hitachi Plans to Boost iPod mini's Hard Drive to 6 GB

by , 1:30 PM EDT, July 29th, 2004

In an interview with Taiwanese newspaper DigiTimes, an Hitachi Global Storage (HST) exec revealed that his company will be releasing a 6 GB version of the drive used in Apple's iPod mini. Pete Andreyev, HST's vice president and general manager for the Asia-Pacific region, says the new drive will be available in the 4th quarter of this year. As first reported by TMO in January, Apple uses HST's 4 GB microdrive in its iPod mini. From the interview:

Q: Which product will become the largest contributor to the slim-type HDD market?

A: In the next one or two years, slim-type drives will be embedded into products needing high capacity storage. Currently the drives are specifically designed for CF Type II slots, but we are in the process of developing a built-in slim-type HDD, in order to lower production costs. We plan to unveil a 6GB slim-type drive, up 50% from the current largest capacity of 4GB, in the fourth quarter this year.

There is more information about HST's drive business in the full interview. Apple has not announced plans to incorporate the new drive into its iPod product line, and the company's policy is to not comment on unnanounced products.

In related news, Hitachi Global Storage's parent company, Hitachi Ltd., announced today that it had turned profitable, in part due to the strength of its hard drive unit. According to a Reuters report, the company cited strong demand for the drive used in the iPod mini as one area of growth.

DigiTimes Interview

Observer Comments

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Close Name:Billy K Posts: 297 Joined: 06 May 2004
Thu Jul 29, 2004 2:40 pm Subject: Hitatchi? Stupid?

When are they gonna learn not to leak Apple's plans?

Watch for Apple to start looking for a new HD vendor.


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Close Name:Small White Car Posts: 1960 Joined: 02 Jul 2004
Thu Jul 29, 2004 3:18 pm Subject: Well

Well do they make hard drives for other companies too? If so, they can hardly be expected to say NOTHING about their future plans just because Apple is one of their customers.

Anyawy, it's POSSIBLE to make 15 or 60 GB iPods and they haven't done that. Just because 6's will be available I don't see this as a sure thing for the iPod right away.


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Close Name:Billy K Posts: 297 Joined: 06 May 2004
Thu Jul 29, 2004 5:00 pm Subject: Them Hitachi Folk

I'm not up on Hitachi Corporate Product Designations, but I read the article as basically saying they make a 4GB drive for "CF Type II slots," and they're expanding it to 6GB. CF Type II = iPod's drive.

They also mentioned by name, "MP3 players worldwide, supported by international vendors, including Apple Computer, Creative Technology, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Philips and Sony."

But from what I've read before, yes the 4GB can be used in other gizmos, but hasn't been because Apple buys every single one they make. So, basically, they make iPod drives and nothing but iPod drives.

Then again, they claim they will be increasing production. "Shipments are likely to jump to five million units this year, up five-fold from one million in 2003."

So maybe they WILL be able to make enough drives for the Mini and also supply other brands.

However, if they increase their 4GB drive to 6GB, Apple will, of course, go along with that. In other words, they didn't say directly, but it was pretty obvious. Especially since they made it sound like they were not going to continue making the 4GB.


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Close Name:Small White Car Posts: 1960 Joined: 02 Jul 2004
Thu Jul 29, 2004 9:58 pm Subject: Yeah

Yeah maybe. It's really impossible to say, though. Maybe they'll keep making both sizes, thus making the 4 GB drives cost less. Apple may decide that lowering the price of the minis will sell more than adding 2 GB to them, and thus will decide to keep the 4's. If they dropped the price on them to $200 they'd get another buying spree next summer, I'm sure, even with 4 GB drives. Even though it sounds like they'll stop making 4's, I'm sure if Apple says they want 4's they'll keep making them.

It's all speculation, but that's what we're here for, I guess.


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