The drives feature USB 3.0 connectivity, USB 2.0 compatibility, and continuous, automatic backup software.
Data storage specialist
Western Digital announced the next generation of its My Passport storage drives
with a range of capacities, beginning from 500GB and topping out at an
industry-first 2TB. Featuring the companys SmartWare automatic backup software
and WD Security technology for password protection and hardware encryption, the
drives, which are powered through the USB port, come in white, black, silver,
blue or red.
My Passport drives come with
a two-year limited warranty and are available online at the WD store and at
select retailers and distributors. The suggested price for the 500GB drive is
$129.99, $149.99 for the 750GB drive, $179.99 for the 1TB version, $199.99 for
the 1.5TB drive and $249.99 for the new 2TB edition. With the addition of
finishes specially engineered to make the outer shell more resistant to
scratches and fingerprints (a tough polycarbonate exterior and soft elastomer
cushion lining also protect the drive), the My Passport drives feature USB 3.0
connectivity, USB 2.0 compatibility, and continuous, automatic backup software.
SmartWare features a visual
interface that lets users see the WD drives connected to the computer. The
platform automatically scans the computer and finds all personal files,
including email. Users then select the files and folders that they want backed
up or can back up files by category. Backup gauges show how much information
has to be backed up in each category. Users can also mouse over a category to
see a file count. As the backup is running, the category gauges will change
color showing users the backup as it happens. When finished, users will see a
status screen and information about the backup, which only has to be done once.
After the first backup, a users files will be backed up automatically every
time a file is changed or added.
In addition, if a user ever
accidentally deletes an important file, or needs to get an earlier version of a
file, they can find and retrieve with the retrieve interface. SmartWare also
lets users restore all of the files theyve backed up or select a particular
file or folder and set the number of versions they want to save so they can go
back in time to retrieve an older version of a file.
"More than money,
jewelry and other valuables, the item most missed if ever lost or stolen is one's
computerand everything on itso our goal in launching the next generation of
the popular My Passport drives is to encourage more consumers to protect their
data before something happens," said Jim Welsh, executive vice president
and general manager of WD's branded products and consumer electronics groups.
"The new My Passport makes backing up and preserving one's digital life
easier."
Nathan Eddy is Associate Editor, Midmarket, at eWEEK.com. Before joining eWEEK.com, Nate was a writer with ChannelWeb and he served as an editor at FierceMarkets. He is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
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