In the wake of Apple announcing it’s offering free swaps for some defective Time Capsule backup systems, storage vendor Toshiba has launched its own backup solution specifically for Macintosh users: all new Mac versions of its Canvio line of USB 2.0 external hard drives. The drives are available in 500 GB to 1 TB capacity, power off the USB bus so there’s no awkward power brick to carry around, and come with Mac-specific backup and data protection software so folks can be secure that their data is being backed up consistently.
“Toshiba develops personal storage devices that combine the latest, high quality designs with top-notch performance and an intuitive, easy to use interface,” said Toshiba Storage Device Division product manager Manuel Camarena, in a statement. “Our Canvio for Mac products give Mac users a safe, convenient, and truly portable solution for backing up their digital entertainment, documents, and other content instantly.”
The drives work with Mac OS X 10.5 “Leopard” or newer, and ship with NTI Shadow 5 backup software that enables customizable backup and synchronization solutions: users can choose to backup fully bootable versions of their entire systems, or just do backups of specific directories or file types, as well as merge and synchronize folders on a configurable schedule. The drives also offer 256-bit data encryption so data isn’t sitting wide open if the drive is lost or stolen; folks who take their drives on the road will appreciate the integrated shock sensor and ramp loading technology to keep the drives safer from bumps and jolts.
The Toshiba Canvio drives for Mac are available now, with the 500 GB version going for $119.99, the 750 GB version for $139.99, and the 1 TB version for $189.99. They’re available in white with silver accents—which makes them easy to distinguish from their black-and-silver PC-centric cousins.
