Western Digital goes Thunderbolt with external Mac drive

Frankly, I’m not a huge Mac fan. Yes, I once owned a MacBook, but er, I actually ran Windows on it.

One of the reasons I don’t buy Mac computers is that they typically cost so much more than the average Windows PC. Plus, I want to roll my own computers, not buy something off the shelf.

Of course, it’s also no secret that Mac users are used to paying more for accessories, and Thunderbolt peripherals are especially expensive. Case in point? The new Western Digital external hard drive dubbed  My Book Thunderbolt Duo.

The unit offers either 4 TB or 6 TB capacities, and boasts a pair of hard drives that are user serviceable inside the enclosure.

The dual drives mean the device supports RAID 0, 1, along with JBOD. The external hard drive is also equipped with dual Thunderbolt ports to allow daisy-chaining of multiple drives or accessories.

As expected, the external Thunderbolt drive is targered at professional users and those who require high-speed storage devices for video editing, 3-D rendering, and other graphics intensive projects.

“Offering lightning-fast throughput in both directions, the new WD Thunderbolt Duo storage systems are just what I need for organizing, editing, and archiving complex High Definition video projects,” said Bruce Dorn, a rep for the Director’s Guild of America (DGA).

“Configurable as either RAID 0 or RAID 1 – and offered in both 4 TB and 6 TB capacities – these new WD Thunderbolt Duo systems are the perfect solution for video filmmakers who are desperate for an uber-fast time sensitive project management solution.”

Both versions of the drive are ready to use on Mac computers with HFS+ formatting and Time Machine. The 4 TB version will set you back a cool $599.99, while the 6 TB version sells for $699.99. Both are now available online and in select retail stores.