Western Digital unveils 6TB external drive

Western Digital has launched a new external drive that offers 6 terabytes of storage.

Unveiled today, the latest edition to the company's My Book Studio Edition II product line upgrades the storage space of 4TB and 2TB offered by earlier models. But by housing two hard disks internally, the new version maintains the same dimensions, shape, and weight as its lower-capacity cousins.

Selling for $549.99, the new My Book Studio Edition II 6TB drive is being geared more toward the Mac than Windows. Western Digital is targeting it specifically to creative pros and businesses that need to store a large number of high-definition videos, photos, and other hefty files. Formatted for the Mac, the drive supports Apple's Time Machine and also comes with its own automated and continuous backup software.

But Windows users aren't out of luck. The drive is compatible with Windows 7 and Vista. (XP won't support capacities higher than 2TB.) WD provides instructions and the necessary software to reformat the drive for Windows.

For connectivity, the new drive provides four different ports: USB 2.0, eSata, and FireWire 400 and 800. It comes configured for RAID0, which can boost performance by splitting data across two disks, but supports RAID1, which mirrors data across multiple disks as a form of protection.

Western Digital has also equipped the drive with its GreenPower Technology, which uses around 33 percent less power than other dual-disk storage systems and can keep the hardware cool without the need for a fan. A capacity gauge tells owners how much free space is left. And if one of the disks ever needs to be replaced, WD promises that the system is easy to open and get inside.

The drive is currently available for sale at WD's online store.