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The range, comprising the My Book World Edition and My Book World Edition II, is available in 500GB and 1TB capacities, respectively, with the latter equipped with RAID capabilities to configure the two 500GB drives for either mirroring or striping.

The selling point however is software. Once plugged in and powered, the drives set themselves up and configure the software automatically. An Anywhere Access application allows the Internet-connected user to view the drive as if it were attached locally, via Windows Explorer, and as a save option in the Windows 'Save as' and 'Open' menus.

The device

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itself can be set up as part of a network via the Ethernet port. It can also be hooked up to a computer via USB or FireWire. Premium versions of the devices also offer the faster eSATA interface with data speeds of up to 3Gb per second.

Western Digital has licensed EMC's Retrospect Express backup software for backing up drivers, applications, settings and other files with simple wizards for backing up and restoring.

Google Desktop and Picasa are pre-installed to aid searches and photo management.

'The My Book World Edition shared storage appliances eliminate the limits of traditional external hard drives,' said Jim Welsh, VP and general manager of WD's Branded Products group. 'Using this appliance is like carrying as much as a terabyte of content with you wherever you go and knowing that your personal content is safe at home. This new concept in storage enables virtually limitless accessibility to family, friends and associates for sharing and backup.'

The My Book World Edition II costs £299 RRP, while the 500GB version costs £159 RRP.

More information is available at the Western Digital website.