Western Digital has started to ship its new WD Scorpio 320GB 2.5″ SATA hard drive that targets both notebook computers as well as portable storage devices. This new line of 2.5″ hard drives will utilize advanced head and media technology in order to help it achieve the lofty heights of being the world’s highest capacity 2.5″ slim hard drive, boasting proprietary features that actually make the drive super quiet, running along just fine while keeping the mercury levels low.

The WD Scorpio is extremely slim, measuring a mere 9.5mm while delivering ultra fast performance. It can hit transfer rates of up to 3Gb/s and will be used in OEM notebook platforms that aim to bring the highest storage capacities to different markets around the world. According to Campbell Kan, vice president of mobile computing business unit, Acer Inc., “Consumer demands for high capacity storage are stronger than ever. WD is again leading the industry by delivering high quality, high capacity product to the market with the introduction of its new WD Scorpio 320 GB hard drive. WD understands the increasing storage requirements of the notebook market, allowing Acer to introduce high-capacity notebook solutions that meet our customer’s ever-growing demands.”

Jim Morris, WD’s vice president and general manager of notebook storage, weighs in with his two cents. “In today’s market, new notebook systems are increasingly targeting heavy duty applications in the office and home. As system manufacturers improve performance and add data hungry features, high-capacity hard drives become a key ingredient that allows users to fully benefit from the latest computing technologies.”

The WD Scorpio 320 GB SATA hard drive will come with the following features :-

WhisperDrive - WD’s exclusive WhisperDrive technology combines state-of-the-art seeking algorithms to yield the WD Scorpio 320 GB as one of the quietest 5400 RPM, 2.5″ drives available.

ShockGuard - Leading-edge ShockGuard technology combines firmware and hardware advancements to protect the drive mechanics and platter surface to meet the highest combined shock tolerance specifications required for mobile and notebook applications.

IntelliSeek - Another unique WD Scorpio 320 GB feature is its IntelliSeek technology, which calculates optimum seek speeds to lower power consumption, noise and vibration.

WD Scorpio 320 GB drives are readily available online and will retail for $199.99.

Product Page via Press Release