Western Digital is now shipping to the channel new 750GB 2.5-inch drives which are expected to be used mostly in laptops and within external storage solutions. Previous drives at this capacity required the use of three platters instead of two, thus requiring a 12.5mm height which did not fit most notebooks using an industry-standard 9.5mm height.

The WD Scorpio Blue has a 375GB-per-platter areal density and uses the company's Advanced Format technology to achieve the new capacity point. It spins at 5400 RPM, has 8MB of cache, and utilizes a 3Gbps SATA interface.

Using fewer platters means less noise and heat generated, and well as a lower manufacturing cost. The Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the WD Scorpio Blue 750 is $149.00 USD. A three-year limited warranty is standard.

It was three years ago that WDC launched a 750GB 3.5 inch desktop drive, but 2TB desktop drives are now fairly common from the company and its competitors.

"WD continues to lead the market with capacity points that enable consumers and business professionals to store large quantities of data and rich media content," said Jim Morris, WD's Senior Vice President and General Manager of Storage Products. "Our leading power efficiency, achieved without compromise to performance, is another example of the added features and value that our customers have come to expect from WD".

A higher performance WD Scorpio Black version is also anticipated in the next few months that will feature a 7200 RPM speed, 16MB of cache, and a free-fall sensor. The next-generation 600GB, 10k RPM VelociRaptor is also expected to ship shortly.