Western Digital (WD) has expanded its SanDisk product portfolio with a new 8TB SSD designed for desktop use. The SanDisk Desk Drive, the highest-capacity external desktop SSD to date, promises speed, reliability, and plenty of storage for content creators. Given the company’s troubled recent history, anything from WD or SanDisk requires a caveat. The company’s reputation has taken a bit of a hit because some SSD products have had issues. No company bats a thousand, of course, but these are things to remember when discussing new SanDisk products, especially SSDs. Back to the new Desk Drive, it has a futuristic, flying saucer-like design. It comes in 4TB and 8TB capacities, with both sizes featuring the same dimensions. The Desk Drive is 3.9 inches (99 millimeters) across and 1.6 inches (40 millimeters) tall. It weighs 268 grams (9.5 ounces). WD positions the Desk Drive as ideal for users with a lot of photos and videos and says it is also an easy way to back up files while retaining fast access locally. Users can back up selected disks, files, and folders from their Desk Drive using Acronis True Image for Western Digital software, available on macOS and Windows. The app also allows users to set up automatic backup. For Mac users, the Desk Drive works with Apple Time Machine, by the way.
The DeskDrive promises read speeds up to 1,000 MB/s, which is reasonably swift for typical SSD devices. The drive has a single USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2) slot for data transfer and is powered via a separate power cord port. It also has a Kensington Security Slot. “As digital content creation continues to soar, there is an increasing need for high-performing and high-capacity storage solutions to help manage and preserve it. Expanding our SSD portfolio is the first step in offering creators backup solutions that deliver the speed and flexibility they need to unlock their creativity,” says Susan Park, Vice President, Consumer Solutions, Western Digital. Pricing and Availability The SanDisk Desk Drive is available now. The 4TB version is currently available for $380, and the 8TB size is $700. Although 8TB is already a lot, Western Digital says it is working on a 16TB Desk Drive, which it expects to arrive “by next year.” When used alongside cloud backup, a product such as the SanDisk Desk Drive can be part of a successful 3-2-1 backup workflow. This rule says people should have three copies of their data on two different media or hard drives plus one copy of files in a separate (off-site) location. A good backup strategy like this means that if one, or even two, drives fail, it is not the end of the world.
Image credits: Western Digital / SanDisk
