Western Digital Releases Green Hard Drives

The green hard drive has arrived. Western Digital is bringing out a series of environmentally-friendly drives under the name of GreenPower.   They’ll range from 320 GB to 1 Terabyte, with the first out of the hatch called the WD Caviar GP, an external hard drivedue to ship this month. A desktop version of the Caviar will be available next month, with all manner of drives set for the next quarter.   According to the company, its new drives can cut $10 ayear from an electric bill. The 1 TB drive consumes 5 watts less power than others of a similar size, which eat up around 13.5 watts. In a big server center, that equates to some major savings, and amuch lower carbon footprint.   According to the company, the drives “make it possible for energy-conscious customers to build systems with higher capacities and the right balance of systemperformance, ensured reliability, and energy conservation.”