Oakdale, Minn. — Imation announced that it will ship a new hard disk-based portable storage device, the Micro Hard Drive, this month.
The 2GB drive is the first commercial product to employ Toshiba’s 0.85-inch hard disk and will be targeted at business users and prosumers, said Steven Swenson, Imation’s market development manager.
The 2GB Micro Hard Drive will carry a $159 suggested retail price. The company plans to ship a 4GB unit in the fourth quarter for a suggested $189.
While the 2GB Micro Hard Drive is cost competitive with existing 2GB USB flash drives, the cost-per-megabyte equation ultimately favors hard disks, Swenson said.
The one ounce padlock-shaped device uses a thick USB cable (2.0 high speed) to both connect to a PC and to secure the drive to a belt or briefcase.
The drive will work with optional Imation Security Manager file synchronization and 128-bit encryption software, available for free on the company’s Web site. The software allows users to back up and synchronize data.
