Western Digital refreshes MyBook external HDDs, offers 4TB for $180
If you recently put off snapping up some external storage, consider it good timing: Western Digital has refreshed its whole My Book line. While a 1TB option is now out of the picture, the external hard drives are still available in 2TB, 3TB and 4TB versions, although the Mac varieties are capped at 3TB. They retail for $130, $150 and $180, respectively -- in comparison, the original 4TB drive cost $250 when it debuted. Other than these changes, the HDDs mirror many of their predecessors' features, including their USB 3.0 connection, auto-backup software with hardware encryption, password protection, Dropbox integration and Time Machine compatibility for Mac. Those who prefer the Studio line's aluminum finish might shrug this news off, but those who'd like a regular My Book can snag one from Western Digital's online store or from select retailers.
Show full PR text
WD®'S NEW LINE OF EXTERNAL DESKTOP DRIVES OFFER EXTREME CAPACITIES AND DATA PROTECTION FEATURES
New My Book® Family of Drives offers up to 4 TB for Rich Content Collectors and Protects that Data with Automatic, Cloud and Complete System Backup
IRVINE, Calif. – Sept. 24, 2013 – WD®, a Western Digital (NASDAQ: WDC) company, has redesigned its popular My Book® and My Book for Mac lines of external desktop drives to provide as much as 4 TB storage capacity and enhanced data protection for those who create and collect large volumes of data, video, music and photos.
With USB 3.0 for speed, the new My Book lines are available in 2 TB, 3 TB and 4 TB capacities for the largest content collections. At any point in time, anything can happen to one's data. Whether it's a lost notebook or destructive virus, it's critical to keep data safe and maintain a backup of important documents and valued content.
The new drives' data protection features are perfect for backing up content collections. WD SmartWare™ Pro automatic back-up software with Dropbox™ integration offers cloud backup capabilities, and the WD Edition of Acronis® True Image™ enables users to execute a full system backup and securely delete digital files and programs.
"The new generation of My Book external hard drives provides greater speed, flexibility, content safety, and system security for our customers," explains Scott Steffens, general manager of WD's consumer storage products group. "Consumers are creating, downloading, and storing more digital content than ever before and our line of desktop drives are equipped with capacities and security measures to keep it all backed-up and protected against system disaster, damage or theft."
Security measures against unauthorized access to the drive are handled through WD SmartWare Pro automatic backup software with hardware encryption and password protection. To protect files against theft, fire, flood or other natural disaster, My Book integrates Dropbox[1] to store files in the cloud. For full system backup and secure deletion of files, My Book includes Acronis True Image (ATI) WD Edition. ATI WD Edition is an integrated software suite that ensures security of all information on the PC and can be used to securely delete any confidential data no longer needed. ATI WD is also used for disaster recovery in case of a fatal system crash, recovering the entire PC including files, software and preferences.
The My Book for Mac will also incorporate SuperSpeed USB 3.0 and UAS connectivity for increased speed and flexibility. Available in 2TB / 3TB capacities, My Book for Mac is compatible with Apple's Time Machine™ for safe and effective backup of files. The drive is equipped with WD Security software for password protection and hardware encryption to protect files from unauthorized access, and comes with WD Utilities, which allows users to register drives, run diagnostics, and more.
Pricing and Availability
My Book and My Book for Mac hard drives are protected by a 3-year limited warranty and is available from the WD store at wdstore.com as well as select retailers and distributors. Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) will be $129.99 USD for the 2 TB, $149.99 for the 3 TB, and $179.99 for the 4 TB.
