Toshiba's New 1.8-inch Drive Could Boost iPod Classic's Capacity to 220 GB

[Michael Essany]

This week, Toshiba left the tech blogosphere buzzing with its introduction of a powerful new 1.8-inch drive capable of providing a whopping amount of storage capacity to a relatively small mobile device. Toshiba’s MKxx39GSL series of 1.8-inch hard drives delivers capacities ranging from 160 GB to 220 GB. And some believe the life of Apple's iPod classic will be extended as a result of Toshiba's latest offering.

Gone are the days when the iPod classic generates the most hype of any Apple product. Despite being largely bumped to the consumer electronics back-burner as a mobile gadget taken for granted in the contemporary world of iPads and iPhone 4s, the iPod classic has been rumored to be resting on the product chopping-block at Apple for quite some time. But as our friends at 9 to 5 Mac suggest, a possible September iPod refresh - delivering a 220 GB capacity update - could make the "old" quite "new" again.

Just how much data storage does 220GB on the iPod classic deliver? You're looking at enough capacity to house some 55,000 songs or 275 hours of video. Of course, if you're a pictures person, there would be space for roughly 34,000 photos. Best of all, since the drive is more power-efficient, the iPod classic's current battery life of 36 hours will be extended drastically. With more storage capacity than ever imagined and improved playback and battery life, Toshiba’s MKxx39GSL series of 1.8-inch hard drives may provide a breath of fresh air into an aging Apple product largely credited with sparking the company's proverbial comeback in the tech industry.

9 to 5 Mac

[cocoabean772]

Well let's see what apple does with this info

[cjgonzales1900]

About time my old friend iPod Classic got a refresh, I can already see the ad, "The iPod that changed the way we listen to music, changes it again." hahahaha

[chrodriguezmarydown]

That's pretty cool. Soon we will have TB's of memory on USB flash drives.

[Zokunei]

I'd kind of like something like this for my 8 gigabyte iPod touch. But I have to ask. Why in the hell do people need over 1000 songs with them when there's only like 80 good ones?

[jibaro3]

This mean price will go up dramatic.

[feidhlim1986]

I'd kind of like something like this for my 8 gigabyte iPod touch. But I have to ask. Why in the hell do people need over 1000 songs with them when there's only like 80 good ones?

Maybe in your collection...

[Zokunei]

This mean price will go up dramatic.

That's not how computers work. Every 18 months usually they can double the storage without raising the price. Guess how long it's been since the iPod classic got an upgrade?

Maybe in your collection...

There's not 220 gigs worth. I'm not buying 55,000 dollars in music and I'm not pirating it.

[dougal22]

Ahhh the iPod classic.

I really should wipe of the dust from my 80Gb 5th gen and use it a little.

[candypaint]

This is awesome. My 160GB has been with me everywhere from Alaska to Iraq and back to DC. I'm afraid its going to die soon even though it just sits in my car. While deployed, all we did was share music most of our free time. Then I discovered DatPiff. So my 160GB iPod has about 18GBs free with 26,000+ songs on it. I discover new music every week too.

[musiconwax]

My music library is 140gb, so to leave room for 18 months of growth, I'll be buying the 220gb version.

[DarkDragonAn]

I still have the 30GB iPod Classic on My 2010 Camaro and that cost almost $300 back when that was a lot of GB's space, and it still run like new.

[spazturtle]

That's not how computers work. Every 18 months usually they can double the storage without raising the price.

The current doubling time is 1.2 Years, so I'm looking forward to a 1TB iPod in about 5 years.

[iSteed]

Yep. I still have the 30gig video classic as well. I keep that in my truck. I only have 15 gigs worth of music tho. I don't know how in the world some of you guys have 100's of gigs of music. Wow

[Zokunei]

The current doubling time is 1.2 Years, so I'm looking forward to a 1TB iPod in about 5 years.

Even better

Yep. I still have the 30gig video classic as well. I keep that in my truck. I only have 15 gigs worth of music tho. I don't know how in the world some of you guys have 100's of gigs of music. Wow

That's what I'm saying. I have 36 songs right now. I'm probably getting a few more though.

[master_va]

Maybe in your collection...

LOLz

[Snozberries]

Mr. Essany,
GREAT editorial!! my only iDevice is my 3gs and I would greatly condsider a 220 classic to house my collection!
+1

[StealthBravo]

I'd kind of like something like this for my 8 gigabyte iPod touch. But I have to ask. Why in the hell do people need over 1000 songs with them when there's only like 80 good ones?

Are you saying there are only 80 good songs in the history of music?

I would love to see your list

[mortopher]

I'd kind of like something like this for my 8 gigabyte iPod touch. But I have to ask. Why in the hell do people need over 1000 songs with them when there's only like 80 good ones?

I have a ton of concert bootlegs that are completely legal. No two performances are the same so it's great to listen to them all. Plenty of SRV, Tool, Buckethead, etc.

[Zokunei]

Are you saying there are only 80 good songs in the history of music?

I would love to see your list

Lol it was an exaggeration. But there sure as hell isn't 55K

My dad has like 6,000 songs and I definitely wouldn't put all of them on my iPod even if they were free and I had the space. I have yet to get one of the free singles from iTunes.