Mobile 2.5 in. Hard Drives over capacities to 120 GB.
Press Release Summary:
Equipped with EIDE or SATA interfaces, WD Scorpio(TM) drives feature 5,400 rpm spin speed, 12 ms seek time, and 2 or 8 MB cache. WhisperDrive(TM) technology with SoftSeek(TM) algorithms lends to quiet operation, while ShockGuard(TM) technology protects drive mechanics and platter surface to meet shock tolerance specifications to 300 Gs in operation and 900 Gs when not. Suited for for notebook PCs and portable storage, drives are offered in capacities of 40, 60, 80, 100, and 120 GB.
Original Press Release:
WD Expands 2.5-Inch Hard Drive Line to 120 GB and SATA for High Volume, Rapidly Growing Mobile Market
WD Scorpio(TM) 2.5-Inch EIDE and SATA Hard Drives Deliver High Reliability, Low Power and Fast Performance
LAKE FOREST, Calif., Jan. 26 / -- Continuing to grow its 2.5" product line for notebook PCs and portable storage, Western Digital Corp. (NYSE:WDC) today introduced its next-generation WD Scorpio(TM) mobile hard drives. Now shipping in capacities up to 120 GB, the latest model WD Scorpio drives are equipped with either the EIDE or Serial ATA (SATA) interfaces. Offering high performance from 5,400 RPM spin speed, WD Scorpio operates with power requirements comparable to 4,200 RPM drives to yield lower power consumption for longer system battery life and increased long-term drive reliability. Technological advancements made in the company's WD Scorpio line of mobile hard drives also provide customers optimized acoustics for quiet operation.
Featuring 12 ms seek time and up to 8 MB cache for increased performance, WD delivers the industry-leading specifications that provide the greatest benefits to its mobile customers: high reliability and low power.
According to research firm TrendFOCUS, the 2.5-inch hard drive market is growing rapidly with unit shipments forecasted to expand 19.1 percent year over year from 68.6 million units in 2005 to 81.7 million units in 2006, and the compound annual growth rate of 2.5-inch hard drives is estimated to be 19.3 percent from 2006 through 2009. Now offering the WD Scorpio family in capacities of 40, 60, 80, 100 and 120 GBs, WD is in a position to address greater than 95 percent of the notebook PC market in calendar year 2006.
"WD is addressing this large growing market by building on our reputation for producing high quality and high reliability hard drives," said Jody Bradshaw, general manager of mobile storage. "The new WD Scorpio 120 GB drive delivers the performance and exclusive features that translate into meaningful end-user benefits."
WD Scorpio Exclusive Features
WD's exclusive WhisperDrive(TM) technology with SoftSeek(TM) algorithms helps make WD Scorpio one of the quietest 2.5-inch drives available on the market regardless of spin speed. Leading-edge ShockGuard(TM) technology combines firmware and hardware advancements to protect the drive mechanics and delicate platter surface to meet the highest combined shock tolerance specifications (300 Gs while in operation, 900 Gs non-operating) of any 2.5-inch drive in its class.
WD Scorpio Pricing and Availability
WD Scorpio 120 GB EIDE (model WD1200VE) hard drives are currently shipping in volume and are available on the company's online store (www.westerndigital.com) for $234.99 USD, where customers can currently take advantage of free standard shipping on orders over $200. WD Scorpio 120 GB SATA (model WD1200BEVS) is scheduled to begin shipping next month.
About WD Scorpio
WD Scorpio mobile hard drives are offered in capacities of 40, 60, 80, 100 and 120 GB; features either 2 MB cache or 8 MB cache; are available with EIDE or SATA interface; and have a three-year warranty.
More information about WD Scorpio mobile drives may be found on the company's Web site at http://www.westerndigital.com/en/products/Products.asp?DriveID=200.
About WD
WD, one of the storage industry's pioneers and long-time leaders, provides products and services for people and organizations that collect, manage and use digital information. The company produces reliable, high-performance hard drives that keep users' data close-at-hand and secure from loss.
WD was founded in 1970. The company's storage products are marketed to leading systems manufacturers and selected resellers under the Western Digital and WD brand names. Visit the Investor section of the company's Web site (www.westerndigital.com) to access a variety of financial and investor information.
Western Digital and the Western Digital logo are registered trademarks, and WD, WD Scorpio, ShockGuard, WhisperDrive, and SoftSeek are trademarks of Western Digital Technologies, Inc. All other brand and product names mentioned herein are the property of their respective companies.
