Tech Lover 9

Personal and secure cloud storage platforms are becoming more common, but they are still a long way from gaining mainstream momentum because the concepts behind them are a little esoteric to grasp for typical users. Those who want to access storage which mimics public clouds, but on a private scale, will definitely get what the Western Digital (WD) MyBook Live is attempting to achieve. But does it earn the right to charge the price of admission?
This cloud storage device from WD comes in a variety of capacities, but the 1TB model is perhaps the best of the bunch, offering a balance between price and storage flexibility. The point of this gadget is to let you synchronise its contents across a number of different devices thanks to its Wi-Fi connectivity. That means it is compatible with Windows and Mac OS laptops as well as tablet computers and even smart TVs, the latter of which are becoming increasingly prevalent.

DLNA capabilities mean that the MyBook Live can be used to stream content direct to your device, no matter where you happen to be. This means you can access media files on the move as well as getting at your other pieces of data without having to be physically connected to the drive. As long as you can work out how to get the MyBook Live connected to your wireless router, which is surprisingly easy, then all of its features will come to life.

The intelligent nature of this gadget goes further, because the software it sports allows you to set up multiple user accounts and put password-based restrictions on access. This means it starts to look like something which would be useful in an enterprise environment. Small and medium sized businesses which want to give employees remote access to files without signing on to a dedicated cloud provider or paying for costly private cloud setup might well turn to the MyBook Live, if only as a stopgap between gradual migration and full adoption of a cloud-based approach.

There is an iPad application which supports the service and it is even compatible with Apple`s Time Capsule platform, which makes it perfect for a modern, digital office environment as well as for home users to enjoy.

The only real reason to ignore the WD MyBook Live is if you have already started using a service like DropBox in order to share files on the cloud. Some people might like having more control over their files and the hardware on which they are stored, in which case WD is definitely in the lead. It is like the difference between owning a physical MP3 player onto which you load your files and using Spotify to stream music to your smartphone. Each has its positive and negative points, with your needs and preferences taking the reins.