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Western Digital announces superfast Thunderbolt My Book VelociRaptor Duo and portable USB 3.0 drives for Mac

The fast keep getting faster. Western Digital announced two new speedy new platter drives aimed at Mac users today. The Thunderbolt “My Book VelociRaptor Duo” is a speed improvement on WD’s previous Thunderbolt Drives coming from the addition of two 10,000RPM internal HDDs (the speed of the drives is actually still the bottleneck here —Thunderbolt is very fast).

Extreme speed of WD VelociRaptor drives inside.

With the extreme speed of two 10,000 RPM WD VelociRaptor drives inside united with the revolutionary speed of Thunderbolt technology your creative inspirations have never moved so fast.

Enhanced workflow efficiency.

The dual Thunderbolt ports make it easy to daisy chain more drives for even greater speeds and higher capacity. Add peripherals to further enhance your productivity.

User-configurable for speed or double-safe data protection.

Customize this dual-drive storage system to your needs – RAID 0 for speed, RAID 1 for data protection, JBOD to use the drives individually.

Did you know…

My Book VelociRaptor Duo is a bootable external device supported by Mac OS X. For additional information, please click here.

Western Digitial also upped the speed of its Mac Portable Drives (which we’ve reviewed favorably) with USB 3.0 and sizes up to 2TB:

Ultra-fast USB 3.0 connectivity.

With the blazing-fast connectivity of USB 3.0, this drive lets you access and save files in record time. Reduce transfer time by up to 3 times when compared to USB 2.0 transfer rates.**Performance may vary based on user’s hardware and system configuration.

Massive capacity in a small design.

This compact enclosure offers up to a massive 2 TB of storage. It’s the ideal companion for anyone with lots of photos, movies, videos and files that they want to take with them.
Password protection secures
your drive.

Use WD Security utility to set password protection and hardware encryption and protect your files from unauthorized use or access.

Both Press releases follow:

Extreme speed, high capacity storage.

Built with two 10,000 RPM WD VelociRaptor drives inside, My Book VelociRaptor Duo delivers extreme speed and high capacity to power through high-end video and photo editing, 3D renderings, graphic-intensive and more.

Move data at unprecedented speeds.The revolutionary Thunderbolt connector provides two channels of up to 10Gb/s transfer rate in both directions, allowing data to travel both ways without compromising bandwidth. This means video files are imported faster, visual effects are rendered in record time and power through your projects.

Daisy chain more drives for more speed.

The dual Thunderbolt ports allow you to daisy chain more drives for more speed and higher capacity. Connect a Thunderbolt display and other Thunderbolt-enabled peripherals to achieve maximum efficiency and productivity.

User-configurable RAID for speed or double-safe data protection.

You can select the RAID mode that’s right for you. Choose RAID 0 (striping) for the performance you need when designing or editing graphic-intensive media files. When the drive is set to RAID 1 (mirroring) it provides double-safe data protection by automatically generating a duplicate copy of your data. Set the drive to JBOD (Just a Bunch Of Disks) to use as two individual drives and select between HFS+J or ExFAT per disk. Ideal for running Windows® OS on a Mac®.

Use it as a lightning-fast boot drive.

My Book VelociRaptor Duo can be used as a lightning-fast system boot drive so that while others are still starting up their system, you are already working on your creative masterpiece.

User-serviceable.

Want to replace a drive? Simply open the case and exchange the existing drive. If you fill up a drive, you can simply remove it and replace it with a fresh drive and begin saving even more of your creative life.

WD Drive Utilities

Register your drive, run diagnostics, manage RAID or JBOD modes and more using WD Drive Utilities.


WD® Introduces Its Fastest My Book® External HDD System Ever

My Book® VelociRaptor Duo Combines Extreme Speed of Two 1 TB 10,000 RPM Hard Drives with Revolutionary Thunderbolt™ Technology

IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — WD®, a subsidiary of Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ: WDC), and a world leader in external storage andconnected home solutions, is combining two high-speed technologies to produce one of the fastest and most robust dual-storage systems ever offered. Supported by the Mac OS X operating system, the new My Book® VelociRaptor Duo dual-drive storage system becomes the ultimate storage drive for performance hungry Mac computer users and creative professionals.

My Book VelociRaptor Duo provides ultimate speed and performance with two 1 TB 10,000 RPM WD VelociRaptor drives along with two Thunderbolt™ ports. The 2 TB dual-drive storage system is ideal for editing high resolution video, 3D rendering, graphic design, and other demanding digital media applications. This boost in performance delivers solid state drive (SSD) -like data transfer rates of up to 400 MB/s for greater work-flow productivity. The dual-drive storage system offers RAID 0 for performance or RAID 1 for protection; and the twin Thunderbolt ports offer daisy-chaining multiple My Book VelociRaptor Duo drives and other high performance peripherals without impacting data transfer speeds or performance. The My Book VelociRaptor Duo also comes complete with a Thunderbolt cable in the box and is user-serviceable.

Photographers, graphic designers and post-production professionals can conduct several high intensity tasks such as video editing and 3D rendering, while completing other graphics-intensive projects. My Book VelociRaptor Duo customers will now have the ability to transfer 22 GB full-length HD movies in less than 65 seconds, 2000 5 MB pictures in less than 33 seconds and over 500 5 MB songs in less than 8 seconds.

“The My Book VelociRaptor Duo is the fastest and most reliable high performance consumer storage device on the market today,” explains Jody Bradshaw, senior director of WD’s consumer storage solutions group.  “Creative professionals now have access to a super-charged storage drive that will keep pace with even the most demanding projects. Daisy-chaining multiple My Book VelociRaptor Duo devices together offers even greater speed, more capacity and flexibility.”

While RAID 0 maximizes the drive’s speed and capacity, RAID 1 support allows users to create a second copy of their digital content on the drive for added protection, security and peace of mind. The drive also provides a JBOD (just a bunch of disks) option for users running a Windows® operating system on a Mac.

Additional features found on the My Book VelociRaptor Duo dual-drive storage system include out-of-the-box compatibility with Apple Time Machine and HFS + Journaled for Mac computers; capability for multi-stream workflows; and a 3-year limited warranty.

Price and Availability
The My Book VelociRaptor Duo dual-drive storage system is currently available at select U.S. retailers and online at www.wdstore.com, starting at $899.99 MSRP USD. Additional information can be found on the WD website at http://www.wd.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=860

About WD
WD, a Western Digital company, is a long-time innovator and storage industry leader. As a storage technology pacesetter, the company produces reliable, high-performance hard disk drives and solid state drives. These drives are deployed by OEMs and integrators in desktop and mobile computers, enterprise computing systems, embedded systems and consumer electronics applications, as well as by the company in providing its own storage products. WD’s leading storage devices and systems, networking products, media players and software solutions empower people around the world to easily save, store, protect, share and experience their content on multiple devices. WD was established in 1970 and is headquartered in Irvine, California. For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.wd.com.

Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC), Irvine, Calif., is a global provider of products and services that empower people to create, manage, experience and preserve digital content. Its companies design and manufacture storage devices, networking equipment and home entertainment products under the WD, HGST and G-Technology brands. Visit the Investor section of the company’s website (www.westerndigital.com) to access a variety of financial and investor information.

WD® Portable Hard Drives For Mac Users Rev Up On USB 3.0 Speed And Larger Capacity While Keeping Compact Design

My Passport® for Mac Provides Data Safety and Security for Consumers Who Take Their Valuable Digital Content Everywhere

IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — WD®, a subsidiary of Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ: WDC), today announced that it has added the USB 3.0 interface to its line of My Passport® for Mac portable hard drives and increased capacity for Mac computer users up to an unmatched 2 TB. Popular among students and other Mac users who take their digital content everywhere, the My Passport for Mac with USB 3.0 allows users to quickly and conveniently take advantage of the faster transfer speeds USB 3.0 provides when connecting the drive to their MacBook® computer or MacBook Air® computer with that interface.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120830/LA65161)

While continuing to provide a sleek and slim design, the My Passport drive also has been a favorite among consumers and professionals who have safety and security at the top of the list of requirements for portable drives, which is why the My Passport for Mac includes password protection and hardware encryption features to protect content from unauthorized use or access. The My Passport for Mac drive is also compatible out of the box with Apple Time Machine for easy backup to further protect valuable files.

“Today’s mobile consumers are looking for fast, safe, compact and reliable ways to access and transport their digital files,” explains Ralf San Jose, director of product marketing for WD’s consumer storage products group. “My Passport for Mac with USB 3.0 adds the convenience of a very fast USB connection that includes added security features that mobile consumers need when away from home. Adding all these benefits with an unmatched industry capacity of 2 TB provides the perfect solution for the demanding Mac customer.

My Passport for Mac drives remain a favorite among Mac users whose environments also include extensive travel or outdoor and adventure locations. Additionally, when action and adventure are on the schedule, My Passport for Mac drives will fit nicely inside WD’s Nomad(1) rugged case for protection against dirt, dust, moisture, and sudden impacts.

Pricing and Availability

My Passport for Mac comes with a 3-year limited warranty and is available on the WD store at www.wdstore.com and at select retailers and distributors. My Passport for Mac drives has Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices (MSRP) of $99.99 USD for the 500 GB, $129.99 USD for the 1 TB and $199.99 USD for the 2 TB.

About WD

WD, a Western Digital company, is a long-time innovator and storage industry leader. As a storage technology pacesetter, the company produces reliable, high-performance hard disk drives and solid state drives. These drives are deployed by OEMs and integrators in desktop and mobile computers, enterprise computing systems, embedded systems and consumer electronics applications, as well as by the company in providing its own storage products. WD’s leading storage devices and systems, networking products, media players and software solutions empower people around the world to easily save, store, protect, share and experience their content on multiple devices. WD was established in 1970 and is headquartered in Irvine, California. For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.wd.com.

Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC), Irvine, Calif., is a global provider of products and services that empower people to create, manage, experience and preserve digital content. Its companies design and manufacture storage devices, networking equipment and home entertainment products under the WD, HGST and G-Technology brands. Visit the Investor section of the company’s website (www.westerndigital.com) to access a variety of financial and investor information.

Western Digital, WD, the WD logo, and My Passport are registered trademarks in the U.S. and other countries. Other marks may be mentioned herein that belong to other companies. Pictures shown may vary from actual products. Not all products or services may be available in all regions of the world. As used for storage capacity one terabyte (TB) = one trillion bytes. Total accessible capacity varies depending on operating environment.

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Avatar for Seth Weintraub Seth Weintraub

Publisher and Editorial Director of the 9to5/Electrek sites.


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