Western Digital My Book World Edition 1TB NAS box Reviews

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  Western Digital My Book World Edition 1TB NAS box

  £175.32

  Go to Dell Business website

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  Western Digital My Book World Edition 1TB NAS box

  £182.06

  Go to Dell Business website

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  Western Digital My Book World Edition 1TB NAS box

  £199.53

  Go to Oyyy.co.uk website

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• diablo944 26th Aug 2009

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  Often, you find people only make an effort to review something in detail when a device has shown a major deficiency or limitation. This is the case with this device. However, I should also say that in every other aspect barring the one limitation, this IS an excellent piece of kit.
  
  Before going further, I must state this as clearly as possible. DO NOT BUY THIS DEVICE UNTIL YOU HAVE READ THIS THROUGH FULLY!
  
  A lot of the final score depends on what you want a nas drive for. In my case it was to have all the files from my main pc available at my PS3 using the nas drive as a media server. I also wanted to back up files from both my pcs, and my laptop. On occasion, I also wanted to allow access from a pc away from home, and as a final aside, I wanted to be able to send video footage done at work (not copyrighted material) to the drive, with the idea of allowing a very restricted amount of access by a few selected individuals in the family and a couple of friends. So, with all that said, here we go with how things actually worked out.
  
  It is a nice looking unit when you take it out of the box. Connecting it up is simple enough. Network cable between the drive and the router, and power connected to mains, job done. The software to enable its connection to the pc and identify the drive is simple and worked flawlessly.
  Transferring files is as simple as drag and drop, copy and paste, or any other way you have of transferring files from one device to another. The drive is seen by the computer (a pc in my case) as just another drive. Unlike the previous 500 gigabyte model, transfer is done at a relatively fast rate.
  
  My PS3 is connected to the router directly with a network cable. Turning the PS3 on and going to the media section, brought the drive up as a server immediately and the video and audio footage I put on the drive as a test all played perfectly (excluding some stuff that was in a format the PS3 didnt know how to play). There were no complications in playback and the setup was fully automatic.
  So, as a network drive it works perfectly, and if all you want to do is have an external drive unit that works with anything you plug in your router, it is fantastic.
  
  Unfortunately I then found a limitation that is (to my mind), both draconian and unacceptable to me as a user. I cannot allow anyone else access to any file on this drive that could be perceived as potentially copyrighted material.
  
  All mp3, MP4, mov and similar files are not accessable by others over the internet. WD use the mio service to enable others to access the drive (and also you yourself if you are away from home). This approach has led to WD/mio blocking video and audio transfers. I have no doubt this is an attempt to limit the sending of copyright material, but it also stops you storing that family video on the drive for any of your family to download at their leaisure.
  
  In my case, it would save me making a dvd of the kids that needed to be sent abroad and let me just place it on the drive for them to get when they want.
  
  This limitation on the drives use is a huge issue to me and has taken away a large part of its usefulness as the video transfer option was part of my justification for buying it.
  
  As a drive for use between pcs and PS3/Xbox access in one house, this is a lovely piece of kit.
  
  But if access from anywhere else in he world, either by you or another person you want to share things with is important to you? Then avoid western digital like swine flu.
  
  Other manufacturers were initially not an option to me when I was searching for a nas drive. Cisco give only 12 months access to your drive over the net before charging for the service (8-10 pounds per month if memory serves), netgear are more forgiving, but they cost a lot for what they are (twice the price and half the storage space) and are also a nihtmare for the average home user to set up. So the WD looked ideal with its simple setup and free online access. However, that file format limitation on transfers has killed any chance of the drive ever being used outside the home network.
  
  Personally, I feel that the restrictions they have put in force have secerely limited the use of this drive and made something that should have been good into something that now feels tainted. I have had this for only a few days, but it is being sold at the end of the week to a friend who has no desire (or need) to share files elsewhere. For him it will work perfectly, for me? I just dont want it anymore and am off to find a more liberal minded manufacturers nas drive. I am so disgusted, that the lacie I am replacing it with is already on order.
  

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