Credit card-sized hard drive holds up to 5 GB

ixnay · January 18, 2003, 05:32

Now this is just cool:

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/...011603X,00.asp

Quote:

Take a look at one of those credit cards in your wallet. That's the exact size and thickness of an upcoming, revolutionary removable storage device called StorCard.

Created by a company with the same name, StorCard can contain from 100MB to more than 5GB of data on a plastic card. At first glance, it looks like a credit card, and even has a magnetic strip like a credit card, for potential use in standard credit card readers.

The hard disk data, however, is accessed on a tiny spinning disk inside the thin card.

"The card actually has moveable parts inside its thin shell," says Bill Heil, vice president of StorCard.

A spinning wheel made of Mylar is engaged when the card is inserted into a StorReader, a USB-connected drive or PC Card that reads and writes to the StorCard. The reader is expected to retail for under $100 and the cards for under $15 each, Heil says.

Deal in the Works
The StorCard and StorReader are scheduled to become available in the second half of 2003. The company is talking with media producers, and a partnership announcement with a widely recognized producer of blank media is expected in the next month, Heil says.

Amazingly, within the card is an on-board processor containing integrated software controls that can encrypt data securely in real time.

"The combination of high capacity [and] an inexpensive price point makes StorCard a viable solution for consumers and businesses alike," Heil says. Also, the card--like a credit card--is extremely flexible, without risking damage to the data it contains, he says.

StorCard promises the tiny hard drive will provide high performance to quickly handle large amounts of data. It will support a volume sufficient to stream media files, for example, according to Heil. As a result, the StorCard could store even material that previously would fit only on a DVD.

DRoseDARs · January 18, 2003, 05:35

Sweeeeet...

Probably won't see them in Reno 'til late-'03 early -'04, months after other parts of the country...

Skanky Burns · January 18, 2003, 06:12

Ooooh!

/me wants one.

Urban Ranger · January 18, 2003, 07:02

Nice.

Az · January 18, 2003, 07:31

it probably would get bad-sectored rather quickly.

Traianvs · January 18, 2003, 08:00

Quote:

At first glance, it looks like a credit card, and even has a magnetic strip like a credit card, for potential use in standard credit card readers.

Well I think such a card would get damaged pretty quickly if it's in your wallet, unless it has stainless steel protection or something

i mean, i for one have mauled several (not credit cards) cards already and I don't even often use them

MRT144 · January 18, 2003, 08:59

and what good is it if i cant record 16 tracks at a time on it?

Wraith · January 18, 2003, 10:33

Possibly interesting, but probably not in this particular application. I'd rather have solid-state for something to be used like this. Like those USB flash drives, which are available in 1 gig sizes already.

Wraith
"++?????++ Out of Cheese Error. Redo From Start."
-- Terry Pratchett, Interesting Times

Oerdin · January 18, 2003, 10:50

My first hard drive was the size of a brick, was as slow as a snail, and only held 25MB. To me these new drives are just plain magic.

loinburger · January 18, 2003, 10:59

I'm surprised they'd use a plastic shell rather than something more durable like, I dunno, magnesium. Cost, I spose, but I wouldn't think that the additional cost would be that significant for so small a product.

Oerdin · January 18, 2003, 11:04

With a drive that small and thin I'd think they'd want to make it out of metal just to give it the most protection possible.

Skanky Burns · January 18, 2003, 17:47

A shell made out of metal would more than likely increase data corruption - not exactly what they are aiming for.