WD unveils slim, energy-efficient hard drive

Digital (WD) is shipping an energy-efficient WD Scorpio Blue 7mm hard drive, which it claims can fit into most Ultrabooks, eWeek reports.

The small form-factor hard drives are available in 500GB and 320GB capacities, and the drives' compatibility with industry-standard 9.5mm slots make them possible storage options for notebooks as well as slimmer notebook and Ultrabook devices that require a 7mm drive height.

Matt Rutledge, VP and GM for WD client storage products, points out that consumers want thin and light personal computers, but the limited storage capacity of solid-state drive-based notebooks forces them to pick and choose what files to bring from their libraries, TechWeek Europe writes.

Rutledge says: “With the release of the new WD Scorpio Blue 7mm mobile hard drives, WD is able to offer capacity, reliability and data protection features combined with excellent power management, all in a slim form factor perfect for thin and light notebooks.”

Unlike conventional hard disk drives, the WD Scorpio Blue has a low power consumption as well as power management algorithms that optimises the way data is searched, TechShout says.