By Matt Ryan

Western Digital My Book Mirror Editions are a great new form of data storage and backup. Western Digital is known for high quality external storage drives, but they have now added an extra layer of security with the ability to set RAID 1 or 0 on the Mirror Editions. Whether you need external storage for business or personal reasons, these drives are worth looking into.

The My Book Mirror Editions currently are available in two sizes - 1-terabyte and 2-terabyte. As with other My Book drives, these do not come at a small MSRP. MSRP on these units are $289 - $549 dependent on the size you get. Keep in mind, these are suggested retail prices; the units can be found for much less.

Measuring at 6.54" x 6.06" x 3.87" and weighing only 5.2 pounds, the My Book Mirror Edition fits nicely in any setting - on desk, in an entertainment center, or anywhere else you could imagine hiding it. The overall design is quite sleek with a book-like shape and shiny black exterior. Additionally there is a blue LED light that is a status indicator for users, which is located right on the front of the unit for easy visibility.

Users have the choice between either RAID 1 or RAID 0 on the My Book Mirror Edition. Using RAID 1 reduces the overall storage size to half, but provides you with a duplicate copy of your data on the second drive. RAID 0 provides you with a bit less security - no replica of data - but gives you more overall storage space. The drives are somewhat customizable to your needs.

The unit has a Drive Manager, which enables users to view the status, temperature, and capacity of the unit. Users can also change the configuration through Device Manager. You can change from RAID 1 to RAID 0 and vice versa. (For consumers who do not understand what this will do, your data will be wiped if you reconfigure your unit to a different RAID setting.)

You can even connect to your My Book Mirror Edition while you are traveling and away from home; WD MioNet makes this possible. There are other applications available on the unit such as WD Anywhere Backup, 30-day trial of Memeo Autosync, Google, Desktop Search, and Picasa.

These units are so easy to navigate, and use, that anyone - of any skill set - can find their way around. Additionally, software installation is a breeze. This being said, you do not have to be technically savvy to operate the Western Digital My Book Mirror Edition.

The My Book Mirror Editions come with two hard drives; each of which are easily removed and replaced if necessary. These devices use USB connectivity only; there are no FireWire or eSATA connection ports.

If you are looking for an external drive for data storage or backup purpose, Western Digitals' My Book Mirror Editions are of great quality. While a little on the pricey side, they are backed by an exceptional manufacturer. With options of 1TB and 2TB, they are the perfect size for either business or personal use.

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