Western Digital Unveils WD Black2 Dual Drive – 120GB SSD Plus 1TB HDD

To get the best performance out of your computer, it’s always recommended to use a Solid State Drive (SSD) for system files and a larger HDD for other data. On a desktop computer it’s quite easy to do so, where space isn’t a big issue. However, on notebooks, all in one PC’s and media center/small form factor PC’s, space is definitely an issue, and getting desktop PC level performance is definitely the aim. Even for desktop PC users, it’s much easier to have just one hard drive instead of multiple ones, and that’s where Western Digital’s SSD+HDD comes in. The world’s first dual drive, called the WD Black2 combines an SSD and conventional HDD, here’s what you need to know.

WD Black2 – World’s First Dual Drive

First and foremost, the WD Black 2 shouldn’t be confused with a hybrid drive, and even Western Digital still believes that there’s still a market for hybrid drives with this launch. The WD Black 2 instead combines 2 separate components onto a single 2.5 inch regular form factor that can be used wherever required. It also uses just a single SATA cable, so there’s no mess. This also means that it can be used with any operating system from Windows XP to Windows 8.1.

When connected and set up properly, the WD Black 2 shows up as two different drives, just as it’s meant to be. Once connected to a PC, only the SSD part of the drive will be usable, and included software has to be used to “unlock” the 1TB HDD part. This software has to be run only once, after which a separate 1TB partition will appear on your computer.

The WD Black2 will be available for $299, which isn’t particularly affordable if you consider the cost of them separately, but does the job if you’re short on space. Besides, some of us might actually consider it simply because it’s much more convenient. Then again, more and faster storage space is always welcome!