WD ships My Book Live Duo with RAID, remote access support
updated 09:35 am EST, Thu January 5, 2012
Starts at 4TB of storage
Western Digital has released the My Book Live Duo, a new external backup drive for Mac and Windows systems. The Duo takes its name from twin hard disks, which allow it to span or mirror content, depending on a user's preference. To support this it includes its own 800MHz processor, and a lid which opens to let people replace or upgrade a drive without screwdrivers.
Default capacity options are 4TB and 6TB. Instead of a USB connection, the Duo relies on gigabit Ethernet; this has the advantage of letting it operate as a media server, for instance streaming DLNA or iTunes content. Owners can also access material via the the Internet, using either WD2go.com or iOS and Android apps.
When running local backup the drive is fully compatible with Time Machine on Macs, and on Windows supports options like WD's bundled SmartWare. The 4TB Duo is on sale for $400, while the 6TB model costs $500.
