320GB Passport USB HDD Launched By Western Digital

Mobile users looking for data storage and backup capabilities on the go want something smaller and sleeker that is easy to take with them. Western Digital announced its new WD Passport 320GB portable hard drive today. The small drive is powered completely by the USB bus of a computer.

The USB interface allows for data transfer of up to 480 Mbps. The drive measures 0.590-inch H x 5.11-inch L x 3.14-inch W and weighs 0.23 pounds making for a very portable package. Google software is included on the drive to allow users to search for files and folders on the drive, mange photos, and simplify web searches.

WD Sync software allows users to synchronize and encrypt data between the host computers and the storage drive. The 128-bit encryption secures data on the Passport in the event the drive is lost. While the drive is compatible with both Mac and Windows, the software included on the drive is for Windows systems only. The 320GB Passport drive is available now for $229.99.

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Western Digital Unveils GreenPower 500GB HDD

Western Digital unveiled a new 500GB HDD in its GreenPower family of hard drives. The new WD Caviar GP 500GB uses only 3.3W in idle and 6W during seek mode.

WD Caviar GP 500 GB 3.5-inch SATA hard drives support quieter, cooler-running desktop PCs and external storage devices, with power usage 30 percent lower than any other announced 500 GB hard drive in the industry.

"Cooler and quieter operation are key benefits of the WD Caviar GP line of hard drives, which has created a strong following among desktop and external HDD customers," said Don Bennett, vice president and general manager of WD's desktop business unit. "When a hard drive requires 30 percent less power to operate, heat generation is significantly reduced, enabling greater long-term reliability in all applications."

WD Caviar GP 500 GB hard drives (model WD5000AACS) will be available for $149.99 USD.

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Western Digital Announces Record Breaking Hard Drive Density

Today Western Digital announced that it has achieved 520 Gb/in2 areal density in an actual demonstration using its own perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR)/tunneling magneto-resistive (TuMR) head technology. For those of you who are counting, that makes it the highest density ever reached using continuous media. A density of this magnitude produces a 3.5-inch hard drive storing 640 GB-per-platter and single hard drive capacities as large as 3 TB. Compare that to the current leading density of around 200 Gb/in2 being shipped high volume products like WD's 250 GB Scorpio(R) 2.5-inch drive. That's all well and good, but it looks like you will have to wait to get your hands on this technology. Current estimates put the release at around 2010.

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