WD introduces new 80 GB per platter 2.5 inch drives

Western Digital announced it is in volume production of its next-generation WD Scorpio 2.5-inch hard drives using WD-designed and -manufactured perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) technology to achieve 80 GB-per-platter areal density.

"The rising use of mobile and CE devices with rich digital content such as video, music and photos, along with the continued expansion of corporate data generation, is driving the need for highly reliable, high capacity hard drives of all form factors," said John Coyne, WD's president and chief operating officer. "WD's implementation of PMR technology in a mobile application, our fastest-growing high-volume market, expands capacities for these storage-hungry applications. These new high-density drives also are an outcome of our focused R&D investments over recent years that will bring high value to our customers worldwide."

About PMR

With PMR technology, the magnetization of each data bit is aligned vertically to the spinning disk, rather than longitudinally as has been the case in hard drive technology for decades. This enables more data on a given disk than is possible with conventional longitudinal recording, and provides a platform for future expansion of hard drive densities.

About WD Scorpio

Offering high performance from 5,400 RPM spin speed, WD Scorpio hard drives operate with power requirements comparable to 4,200 RPM drives yielding lower power consumption for longer system battery life and increased long-term drive reliability. Technological advancements in the WD Scorpio line of mobile 2.5-inch hard drives also provide customers optimized acoustics for quiet operation. WD Scorpio mobile hard drives are offered in capacities from 40 GB through 120 GB; feature up to 8 MB cache; are available with EIDE or SATA interface; and have a three-year warranty.