First USB 3.0 external drive introduced by Western Digital

This morning Western Digital introduced its first USB 3.0 external desktop drive, the My Book 3.0, designed for Windows-based PCs. The drive utilizes the new SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface, up to 10 times faster than USB 2.0. Because of the additional speed possible, photographers will benefit from the drive’s speed when transferring large numbers of files. The drive is offered as a standalone device or in a kit that includes a USB 3.0 PCIe (gen2) adapter card. A 1 TB (terabyte) drive is now available with a 2 TB model expected in days.

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.  The new My Book 3.0 drive is compliant with the USB-IF SuperSpeed USB 3.0 standard to provide compatibility with other USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 products. SuperSpeed USB 3.0 is backwards compatible with USB 2.0 and USB 1.1. The drives are compatible with USB 2.0 ports.

The MSRP for the My Book 3.0 drive 1 TB is $179.99; MSRP for the My Book 3.0 drive in a kit that includes a USB 3.0 PCIe (gen2) adapter card is $199.99. For more information, check out the website www.westerndigital.com.

We are currently testing out one of the new My Book 3.0 drives. Look for a full review of the My Book 3.0 drive here at Picture-soup.com soon!

— Diane Berkenfeld