Western Digital has introduced the latest in its series of My Book external storage solutions. The My Book World Edition can be used as a Network Attached Storage device, usable for common storage or as a backup solution across an entire home or business network.

Available in 1TB or 2TB capacities, the new lineup uses the same Caviar Green Power drives with 500GB per platter perpendicular magnetic recording technology that DailyTech previously covered. It is also expandable to larger capacities through the use of its USB 2.0 port, though access times would be slower.

According to a study conducted by WDC, seventy percent of consumers claim to be backing up their data, but most of that is the occasional copying to a CD or USB flash drive. The My Book World Edition addresses this problem by providing automatic, continuous backup for all the computers on a network. A capacity gauge gives a visual indication of how much space is available.

WDC is targeting consumers in particular who want to store music, photos, videos, software, or backup CDs in a shared digital media library. It connects to a network router through the use of its gigabit ethernet port, and allows access to data from any PC, Mac, Xbox360, or Sony Playstation 3 on the network.

Remote access and file sharing on the internet is also available for free through WDC's MioNet software. MioNet was originally developed by a team from Stanford University who formed a company named SenVid to market it. Western Digital acquired SenVid and the entire MioNet product line in 2007.

The 1TB My Book World Edition NAS is now shipping to retail with a Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price of $230, while the 2TB version will be available at the end of February with a MSRP of $450. Western Digital is offering a three year warranty on both versions.