News - WD launches net-connected MyCloud storage family

[HEXUS]

Touts ease of setup, use and keen pricing as its main selling points.

Read more.

[Tpyo]

Um... this isn't exactly what I'd think of as 'Cloud', more like a simplified home server or internet-enabled NAS. I was hoping this would be more like the 'plug' device on kickstarter - set up multiple ones of these (e.g. one at your house, one at your parents/friends/sister's cousin's former room mate's...) to create a mini-private cloud with multiple backups.

EDIT ADDED - In fact in the description it even says 'centralize your family's...', which seems completely at odds with the idea of cloud computing in general.

[3dcandy]

Tis a buzzword....but this does still seem a half decent effort if it's that easy

[Saracen]

I must admit, my reaction was exactly as tpyo, it seems to be a net-connected, remotely-accessible USB drive, not "cloud" device.

But personally, for me to be even marginally interested in something where easy remote access is designed in, I'd need to be 100% confident that security was not just bullet-proof reliable, but nuke-proof. My more sensitive personal data is nuke-proof against net-hackers - it's not on a net-connected PC.

[crossy]

I would have been more impressed if there was a way that you could setup an (encrypted!) group of these that would automatically mirror each other. Then you could have one, your brother another, parents a third and have a REAL "cloud" solution (imho of course). Or be able to setup multiple units to give RAID style protected storage (with data held on more than one unit).

Looking at what's given and I come to the conclusion that they've just used "cloud" as a marketing term ("Cloudy, cloud, cloud" to use Linux Outlaws speak), and perhaps they should have called it an "iNAS" (Internet & Network Attached Storage) device?

Prices look reasonable, and the Memeo software that came with my current WD NAS is actually pretty reasonable. I just need basic NAS functionality myself - no need for fancy media sharing or anything like that.

[fozan1072]

This is NAS storage. They may call it cloud but is it. You have to be networked to use if I'm correct.

[Clydonian]

I would rather have it this way tbh, I'd rather be in full control of the storage, I was planning on doing a setup like this, so this has tweaked my interest, I know the multibay options will show eventually but I wonder if you had multiple units would they show up under a single account, like an unofficial raid0, then show up as a collective pool, as in 2 of the 4tb options would show as 8tb or would they show as 2 separate drives

[crossy]

This is NAS storage. They may call it cloud but is it. You have to be networked to use if I'm correct.

You have to be networked to use cloud storage* too. Going on the strict description I have here all cloud storage is NAS also, but obviously the reverse isn't the case.

(* unless someone's found a way to apply "cloud" to DAS too - which given the way PR departments are throwing that label around wouldn't surprise me)