Maxtor 1TB Prototype

Seagate's sub-brand Maxtor today unveiled a new, prototype version of its 1TB Shared Storage II network drive for the home. This special version of the hard disk uses a slew of new technology to streamline the sometimes difficult setup for network disks. A combination of Plug and Play Extensions (PnP-X), a network finder, and web services would let even novices find and use the storage, Seagate says: the drive will self-configure to appear on a network disk without requiring web tools or software. Web services also run in the background on the drive and can broadcast the status of the drive to small web-based utilities such as Windows Vista's Gadgets. It should be possible to monitor free space and backup progress on the Secure Storage II purely in the background, according to the company.

No release date has been given for the revamped drive, which was demonstrated today at the WinHEC hardware conference. The technology is relatively simple, however, and may only require a software update instead of a new replacement for the $530 network-attached drive.

By Electronista Staff