Hitachi 500GB Notebook Drive Won't Fit Apple MacBook, MacBook Pro, PowerBook or iBook

Yesterday, Hitachi announced that it would be releasing a 500GB 2.5" notebook hard disk drive running at 5400RPM, the Travelstar 5K500. The 5K500 will also include a 400GB model. Several Mac Web sites carried the news.

Unfortunately, a quick check of the 5K500's technical specifications listed in the press release itself reveals that it is 12.5mm tall (thick?). MacBooks, MacBook Pros, Powerbook G4s and iBooks all require a 9.5mm height or less. So the highest capacity notebook hard drive that fits into portable Macs is still the WD Scorpio 320GB drive that we reviewed on Wednesday. [Bill Fox]