Western Digital introduces 5-mm hybrid HDD

A 5-mm-thick hard disk drive featuring hybrid technology targets ultra-thin notebooks. Equipped with a 500-GB capacity, the instant-on HDD from Western Digital subsidiary WD combines MLC NAND flash technology with magnetic disks. The single-unit design uses about half the space of standard 9.5-mm laptop hard drives and runs about 10% the cost of similar capacity SSDs, according to the company.

The drive delivers tiered storage in a single unit. Frequently accessed, or “hot” data, relies on NAND flash for fast response times, while the less-often accessed “cold” data is located on magnetic disks. These disks back up all files residing in the solid-state memory, minimizing its wear.

For more information, visit www.wdc.com.


Did you find this article of interest? Then visit the Memory Designline, where we update daily with design, technology, product, and news articles tailored to fit your world. Too busy to go every day? Sign up for our newsletter to get the week's best items delivered to your inbox. Just click here and choose the "Manage Newsletters" tab.