Western Digital My Book Live (1TB)

Pros: Very easy and quick to install.
Quick file access.

Cons: No USB external drive expansion capability.
No printer server.

Summary: This is exactly what I was looking for. I do not like to install middleware or device drivers that come with most products these days. I was looking for simple network storage. This device offers a lot of other features such as serving media, internet access, etc. All I wanted was shared network storage.

I pulled the unit out of the box, plugged in the power cable, and attached it my router using the supplied ethernet cable. By the time I returned to my laptop and opened "my network" it was there. I mapped a permanent drive letter to the shared folder on the drive and started moving files. I think the entire process took about 60 seconds - literally. There is an installation disc with special setup software, but I did not use any of it.

I have two older XP desktops machines with wired connections to the router and a couple of newer Windows 7 laptops. I mapped the network drive to each of these computers with ease. No hassle, not sweat, and not a single glitch.

The only disappointment is that I would have liked to see a USB port for an attached external drive or a networked printer. Many other NAS devices have this feature. I have always had good experience with WD products and wanted to stay with that brand. I believe that the MyBook World Edition features a USB for an external drive, but not printer support. When I went to buy the device, the World Edition was not available, but the MyBook Live was. Since neither supported a printer, I went for the MyBook Live since it was immediately available.

Bottom line is that I am pleased with it. It is exactly what I was looking for: Shared, always-available network storage with simple installation, no middleware or device driver requirement, and no special maintenance.