Western Digital Bakes Fruity-Good 314GB PiDrive For Raspberry Pi Platform
It was just two weeks ago when the Raspberry Pi 3 was introduced, bringing with it integrated 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1 and a new Cortex-A53-based, 1.2GHz 64-bit quad-core processor. Now, Western Digital is getting in on the action with a new accessory destined for the Raspberry Pi.
That’s right, to celebrate Pi Day, Western Digital just pulled the wraps off the 314GB (get it?) HDD which the company says was purpose built for Raspberry Pi. Since SD cards are often not capacious enough and traditional USB hard drives sucks down just way too much power, the USB-powered PiDrive is meant to provide a low-cost, low-power alternative.
The PiDrive itself is based on Western Digital’s 500GB platform and includes Raspberry Pi-specific optimizations to lessen the electrical load while at the same time preserving peak performance through the USB interface. WDLabs even worked with the the author of BerryBoot to develop a specially optimized version of the software that allows you to select from and boot into the operating system of your choice.
"That work has inspired problem-solving engineering through our WDLabs group and, with their insight and collaboration, we are focused on taking new solutions to market,” writes Western Digital marketing chief Melyssa Banda. “The WD PiDrive 314GB is a great example of real-world innovation from WDLabs."
"With the extended capabilities of Raspberry Pi 3, we can't wait to see what new projects our community comes up with," added Raspberry Pi CEP Eben Upton. "WD PiDrive 314GB gives our members a low-cost, purpose built hard drive solution that helps them develop even more innovative and unique ways to use Raspberry Pi."
Given that this is Pi Day, the 314GB PiDrive is available right now to order. Although the drive has a MSRP of $45.81, Western Digital is offering a limited time promotion that give you 31.4 percent off the retail pricing bringing the price down to $31.42. Cute.
The PiDrive comes with a two-year warranty and can be purchased direct from the WD Store. You’ll also find a number of PiDrive accessories in the store including cable kits and enclosures.
