New Lightning Fast WD Caviar(R) SE16 Hard Drives Up to
Three Times Faster Than EIDE
LOS ANGELES, May 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- (E3 Expo Booth No.
6706/Kentia Hall) Western Digital Corp. (NYSE: WDC) today announced it is now
shipping in volume hard drives offering Serial ATA (SATA) interface with 300
MB/s burst data transfer rate. The new WD Caviar(R) SE16 hard drives feature
16 MB cache -- 2 to 8 times the cache size of standard desktop-class hard
drives -- which, combined with its 300 MB/s transfer rate, deliver a
one-two performance punch for customers.
The new desktop-class hard drives are available now from WD-authorized
distributors and in OEM PCs. State-of-the-art SATA with 300 MB/s performance
that is up to 3 times faster than EIDE make WD Caviar SE16 drives one of the
fastest desktop-class hard drives on the market, perfectly suited for use in
high-performance computers, multimedia and gaming systems.
WD Caviar SE16 drives feature technologically advanced acoustics and quiet
operation to reduce noise and significantly extend long-term reliability in
the variety of applications using these drives today. Rotating at 7,200 RPM,
the new drives are available with 250 GB capacity and are covered under a
3-year warranty.
Suggested retail pricing is $199 USD for WD Caviar SE16 with 250 GB
capacity (model WD2500KS). Customers who order WD Caviar SE16 hard drives
from WD's online store (http://www.westerndigital.com/e3) before May 31, 2005, will
receive one free WD SecureConnect(TM) SATA cable (one cable per drive ordered)
and free standard shipping. The industry-leading SecureConnect cable
strengthens the drive-to-cable connection by more than 500 percent, helping to
overcome connector breakage problems common to first-generation SATA cables.
"WD's ongoing product innovation allows us to better serve our customers
by improving upon the features that matter most -- advanced Serial ATA with
300 MB/s technology, fast performance, and cool running quiet drives with high
reliability," said Richard E. Rutledge, vice president and general manager of
WD's PC Components Group. "The new WD Caviar SE16 desktop-class hard drives
bring end users more options for the growing number of applications using
rotating magnetic storage."
Whisper Quiet
The new WD Caviar SE16 drives leverage the same proprietary technologies
that compelled leading independent hardware reviewer Tom's Hardware Guide
(April 2005, http://www.tomshardware.com/storage/20050217/wd3200jb-07.html) to
conclude that WD Caviar SE desktop hard drives are "very fast and nearly
silent." With WhisperDrive(TM) technology, that employs a highly efficient
power-driver design, noise levels are virtually below the threshold of human
hearing. SoftSeek(TM) technology streamlines read/write seeking algorithms,
resulting in the drive operating more efficiently when accessing and writing
data, thus reducing seek noise.
Cool Drives and Enhanced Reliability
Lower power consumption through its advanced electronics and firmware
design means the operating temperature of the new WD Caviar SE16 drives is
much cooler resulting in enhanced drive reliability.
All WD Caviar hard drives protect users' data with WD's exclusive Data
Lifeguard(TM) embedded error detection and repair features, which
automatically detect, isolate and repair problem areas that may develop over
the extended use of the hard drive.
About WD
WD, one of the storage industry's pioneers and long-time leaders, provides
products and services for people and organizations that collect, manage and
use digital information. The company's core business produces reliable, high-
performance hard drives that keep users' data close-at-hand and secure from
loss.
WD was founded in 1970. The company's storage products are marketed to
leading systems manufacturers and selected resellers under the Western Digital
and WD brand names. Visit the Investor section of the company's Web site
(http://www.westerndigital.com) to access a variety of financial and investor
information.
Western Digital and WD Caviar are registered trademarks; WD, the Western
Digital logo, SecureConnect, WhisperDrive, Data Lifeguard and SoftSeek are
trademarks of Western Digital Technologies, Inc. All other brand and product
names mentioned herein are the property of their respective companies.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000711/WDCLOGO)
SOURCE Western Digital Corp.
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Related links:
http://www.westerndigital.com
Photo Notes:
NewsCom:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000711/WDCLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
CONTACT:
Constance Griffiths, Press Relations,
+1-949-672-7891, constance.griffiths@wdc.com, or Bob Blair,
Investor Relations, +1-949-672-7834, Robert.Blair@wdc.com, both
of Western Digital Corp.
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