WD has done this on previous iterations and continues the paradigm with the WD My Passport Ultra which offers WD Drive Utilities, WD Security, and WD SmartWare Pro (the Pro version is typically around 20 bucks for use on up to 3 computers).
Yet there are also brands that now offer software packaged with the drives to not just allow users to manage the drive, but to also provide significant backup features that enable users to gain even more security for the important files and content. This can come in the way of high-end premium enclosures or super-slim designs. Lately, we've been seeing a shift in the portable storage market as more manufacturers look to separate themselves from the large group of makers who pump out portable HDDs with special enhancements (and sometimes not so special) to their products. Cosmetically-focused, the WD My Passport Ultra is available in four different colors (titanium, red, blue and black). The Ultra, WD's latest My Passport iteration, also enables users to setup password protection and hardware encryption to keep data stored on the device secure from unauthorized access. The My Passport Ultra includes software for automatic backups to the host system or to the My Passport Ultra as well as the ability to use Dropbox to backup to the cloud. The WD My Passport Ultra, announced today, is a USB 3.0 portable storage device with capacities from 500GB up to 2TB that features local and cloud backups.
