Toshiba Europe Storage Device Division, the world leader in high performance hard disk drive (HDD) technology, today launched three new external and fully portable HDDs that meet the performance requirements of today's technology-savvy and style-conscious consumers.

The colourful new high-quality external devices are Toshiba-built throughout and further extend the company's pioneering design pedigree in HDDs. Highly ergonomic, sleek and ruggedised to withstand the demands of being constantly in transit, the products feature a 2.5 inch drive and fit into the palm of the hand. They are ideal for users with large volumes of video, picture and audio files that want to use that data wherever they are, whether that be with friends and family, when entertaining or for professional uses. Compatible with both PCs and Macs, they are ideal for anyone needing to store and carry information and entertainment files.The three new Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 Portable External HDDs are:

• Gecko Green: a 160 Gigabytes (GB) drive design for carrying large data volumes while on the move and serving as a high performance external desktop HDD
• Hot Rod Red: a 250GB drive building on the performance of the Gecko Green and ideal for users that have a fast-growing library of audio, video and picture files that they need to access regularly
• Carbon Grey: a 320GB top-end drive capable of storing huge volumes of user data.

As well as offering extremely straightforward operation with plug and play functionality, the three new drives have internal shock protection that safeguards them from everyday wear and tear while in transit, whether that be in a pocket, a casual bag or slipped inside a briefcase. They also feature a rubberised underside to ensure that they remain safely in place on top of a desk or other flat surface, but can easily be removed.

Demand for HDD-based external storage devices is growing continually in response to consumer demand and will continue to do so as higher disk capacities become available, according to industry analyst IDC* Martin Larsson, Vice President and General Manager, Toshiba Europe Storage Device Division, said: "External hard drives are becoming like the mobile phone - not necessarily a fashion accessory, but certainly a statement of style. Toshiba is continuing to invest in ever-higher performance external HDDs and these new products demonstrate out commitment to combining the best of hard drive quality with designs that will inspire and excite users."