Western Digital today shipped its fastest My Book external hard
drive, featuring the USB 3.0 interface, which is 10 times faster than
the previous-generation USB 2.0 interface. According t the company, the
"SuperSpeed" USB 3.0 interface on My Book 3.0 drives provides transfer
rates of up to 5 gigabits-per-second, allowing users to open and save
files up to 4.7 times faster than USB 2.0. In addition, the drive is
compliant with the USB-IF SuperSpeed USB 3.0 standard to provide
compatibility with other USB 3.0, USB 2.0 products, and USB 1.1
products.
The
new USB 3.0-enabled MyBook is available as a standalone device or in a
kit that includes a USB 3.0 PCIe (gen2) adapter card. Western Digital
says that the 1TB My Book 3.0 drive is available now at select
retailers (and its own shopwd.com website), while the 2TB model is
expected at a later date. The 1TB standalone version is expected to be
$180, while the 1TB "kit" is $200 No pricing was available on the 2TB
model, which is expected to ship later this week. All models ship with
a two-year warranty.
