Months after breaking the 2TB mark in the desktop hard drive space, Western Digital is now pushing the boundaries of mobile storage by announcing the world’s first 1TB 2.5-inch drive. Available also in a smaller 750GB version, both drives join the company’s “Scorpio Blue” line and offer 3Gbps SATA connectors, spin at up to 5,200rpm, have 8MB of cache and are based on 333GB-per-platter technology.

Unfortunately the three-platter design also means a non-standard thickness of 12.5mm, so a drop-in upgrade won't be possible for all laptop users – Western Digital is initially offering these up in My Passport Essential SE portable USB drives. The duo come with anti-shock protection and promise extremely low noise levels in operation thanks to its WhisperDrive technology.

Both models are shipping now through various channels; the Scorpio Blue 750GB model has a suggested sticker price of $190 while the Scorpio Blue 1TB is a mere $250.