Western Digital has issued a press release announcing world's first 5 mm thick hard disks. These disks are are designed for integration into the slimmest devices and space-constrained computing environments.
The HDDs are available in two types, the WD Blue drives are traditional magnetic disks and available in a capacity of 500 GB. The WD Black drives are Solid State Hybrid Disks (SSHDs) which means they combine both traditional magnetic storage with NAND memory.
The 5mm disk could be made this thin by using a different connector than the traditional SATA. The WD Blue 5 mm hard drives feature the first application of a new small
form factor SFF-8784 edge connector.
This new connector receives power from and interfaces with the host I/O bus via the SATA interface connector SFF-8784. The WD Blue disks are only available for select industrial distributors and OEM customers and has a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $89.00 USD. WD Black SSHD versions are only available to OEM's and integrators
