TECHNOLOGY - Aug. 11, 1992

More disk space: The computer hard disk drive has come a long way in the past decade. Early disk drives stored only about four megabytes, enough to hold the equivalent of about 2,000 single-spaced typewritten pages of paper.

Now the storage standard continues to move forward as drive makers use new technology to store more and more information on spinning magnetic disks.

Western Digital Corp., maker of computer products in Irvine, said Monday it is circulating prototypes among its customers for a new line of 170-megabyte hard disk drives, which fit in cartridges 3 1/2 inches wide.

That capacity is roughly equivalent to storing 85,000 pages.

Volume shipments of the drives are scheduled to begin at the end of this month, the company said. The drives are the first in a series of new products due out from Western Digital this year.