by , 2:45 PM EST, November 19th, 2008

Electronics manufacturer Toshiba announced Tuesday the MK5055GSX hard drive, a 500 gigabyte 2.5" SATA notebook drive boasting "whisper-quiet operation."

The drive offers an 8MB buffer, operates at 5,400 RPMs, and uses 1.4 watts of power consumption on read/write functions. It also has what Toshiba called an improved servo arm mechanism that helps reduce operational noise while increasing the durability of the hardware.

Other features include a free-fall sensor to help guard against damage from falls and a green-friendly industrial design process designed to help reduce CO2 emissions as well as complying with other environmental standards.

Toshiba has yet to announce a final price but has indicated that the drive will begin shipping in January and will be exhibited at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2009.