As everyone could have expected, thanks to the blaring success of the RE2-GP line, codename 'eco', Western Digital assaults the hard disk market with yet another Earth-friendly product : the WD GP 500.

The WD Caviar GP 500 GB is a small-scale copy of the WD Caviar GP 1 TB, built using the same technology. What makes it distinct is the reduced capacity size, that suits best the GP 500 in the home sector, rather than on corporate scale. The producers boast the 3.3 watts power consumption while in idle mode and the 6 watts during seek. The low power consumption is allegedly reducing carbon dioxide emission up to 14 kilograms per drive in a period of an year - the same emission you get in a 3-day trip with your car.

"Cooler and quieter operations are key benefits of the WD Caviar GP line of hard drives, which has created a strong following among desktop and external HDD customers," stated Don Bennett, vice president and general manager of Western Digital's desktop business unit. "When a hard drive requires 30 percent less power to operate, heat generation is significantly reduced, enabling greater long-term reliability in all applications" , he continued.

When the 1 TB drives hit the markets, the producers outlined the fact that corporations and data centers can save a large amount of money that would have otherwise spared on electricity. With the addition of the newer 500 GB drive, the company slogan has slightly changed, as the disk is less enterprising and more home-user oriented. Western Digital now promotes an excessive care towards Mother Nature. The idea is simple: buy our products in order to minimize the carbon footprint, while saving a few bucks on electricity costs.

The WD Caviar GP 500 GB drive is now on sale on the producer's website and has a price tag of $149.99.