Backup Master: Western Digital Media Center

Introduction

Backing up a PC's data today generally requires the expensive necessary evil of an external hard drive. Western Digital tries to make life easier with its WM Media Center, a portable storage device with 250 GB of capacity that offers an 8-in-1 card reader with dual-option USB 2.0 and FireWire connectivity.

The Media Center from Western Digital sets itself apart from the competition with an integrated USB 2.0 hub, a built-in 8-in-1 flash card reader and a FireWire port, the latter of which continues to deliver better performance values.

The Special Edition Caviar Series has 8 MB Cache and 7,200 rpm. The front, meanwhile, holds some surprises: three buttons promise "dual-option backup" flexibility - the first external hard drives didn't even feature a power switch.