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Western Digital on Tuesday said that its new My Book Elite and My Book Studio external hard disk drives (HDDs) will feature E-Ink screen in order to use their labeling as well as provide additional information to end-users. Usage of additional screen on an external HDD is something completely new for the industry and it is likely that over time WD’s rivals will follow.
"The new My Book Elite drives' unique new e-label smart display and integrated WD SmartWare software give consumers an elegant and practical way to organize their content […]. Even when the My Book Elite drive is unplugged, consumers can easily see at-a-glance what is stored on their drive, how much capacity is available and whether the drive is locked," said Dale Pistilli, vice president of marketing for WD's branded products group.
The e-label smart display on the spine of the My Book drives can be changed easily and as often as desired. It utilizes e-paper technology which reads like ink on paper. With the included WD SmartWare software, users can easily create a label to name their drive or remind themselves of its contents. The e-label also shows available capacity and whether the drive is locked via WD SmartWare software's powerful password protection and hardware-based encryption. Utilizing e-paper technology, the information on the display remains clearly visible, even when the drive is unplugged, and the customized label can be changed easily as often as desired.
WD My Book Elite and My Book Studio external hard drives offer 1TB, 1.5TB and 2TB capacities, FireWire (Studio version only) and USB 2.0 interfaces, technologies to reduce power consumption, 256-bit hardware-based encryption and so on.
My Book Studio drives are available now at select retailers and online with manufacturer suggested retail prices ranging from $149.99 to $299.99 depending on model. The new My Book Elite drives are offered in capacities of 1TB, 1.5TB and 2TB, have a 3-year limited warranty and MSRPs ranging from $169.99 to $279.99 depending on capacity.
Tags: WD, Western Digital, E-Ink
