Verbatim Packs 500GB into a 2.5-inch Drive

The new portable 500GB SmartDisk will be the world's first half-Terabyte drive in the minuscule, pocketable form factor.

Web 2.0 apps may be moving us closer and closer to putting all our data in the “cloud” where it’s accessible from anywhere, but chances are you won’t be storing your entire 150GB music collection or 300GB worth of uncompressed HD footage online any time soon. In the mean time, there’s Verbatim’s new 500GB portable drive, which the company is calling the world’s first half-Terabyte 2.5-inch disk.

The six-ounce SmartDisk uses three separate 166GB platters and Perpendicular Magnetic Recording technology to pack more data into the same tiny 2.5-inch drive space than has ever been accomplished in a consumer drive before. Although 5400RPM drive speed and an 8MB cache probably won’t make it a stellar performer, it’s theoretically capable of moving data at up to 480MB/s through a USB 2.0 connection or 400MB/s through FireWire. Users will have a choice of a USB-only interface, or a combo USB/FireWire interface, with the former being cheaper for those who don’t need the extra flexibility.

“Being able to add half a Terabyte of storage to a PC or Mac with such a small, easy to carry device is a new milestone in the portable storage industry,” said Charles Klinker, Verbatim’s director of marketing for SmartDisk products, in a statement. “Imagine the convenience of being able to store, transport and backup all of your digital content without having to span disks or carry multiple storage solutions.”

The drive will reach retail stores in the second quarter of 2008. Verbatim expects the USB-only version of the drive to sell for less than $300, although firm prices were not announced.