What is Digg?Warning: The Content in this Article May be Inaccurate
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- Four20, on 12/07/2007, -12/+627That's crazy. I know what HDD I will not be buying
- ISurfTooMuch, on 12/07/2007, -10/+406How dare Western Digital tell me what I can do with my files! I have created many MP3 files from scratch, and they are mine to do with as I wish. Not to mention that I can buy legal MP3 files and share them on my local network.
WD won't be getting any more of my money until they formally apologize and completely reverse their stance on this issue. And, although there is a workaround, I'd advise no one use it. There are other products that don't have this "feature", so buy them instead of this piece of crap. And, if you have one, take it back and demand a refund. You bought something that is defective by design, and you have every right to receive a refund for it. - RuffRidr, on 12/07/2007, -1/+193No *****. What marketing idiot thought that this would be a selling point?
- allaboutdatiki, on 12/07/2007, -6/+193A brilliant marketing decision. Send in the Barracudas!
- barnis, on 12/07/2007, -7/+178digg this up to make them realize that we are watching
- tiffany98121, on 12/07/2007, -2/+139Who installs that software that comes with external drives anyways? I have never had the desire to install that crap when getting a new drive.
- brklynmark, on 12/07/2007, -5/+139How the hell do you fill up 750 GB of space without media files?
- diggonaut, on 12/07/2007, -8/+135WD burn in hell! You bastards spoiled one of the most beautifully desiged ext.hdd with this crap
- danielce, on 12/07/2007, -8/+109http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduse ...
Tell them what you think of this here! - StuffMaster, on 12/07/2007, -19/+111Buried as inaccurate. Also for double-linkjack.
WD Anywhere Access != "a network". Duh.
Seriously, who digs this? - wedges, on 12/07/2007, -12/+1011) buy your own drive and enclosure separately
2) ?
3) PROFIT! - Ugoff, on 12/07/2007, -0/+89ABORT, ABORT!
- danielce, on 12/07/2007, -10/+98From all of us (digg) to all of you (WD limp dick cowards): "Take a long walk of a short cliff... in to a volcano... filled with lava piranhas..."
- theojanke, on 12/07/2007, -16/+98This description is sensationalist and misleading.
1. You can share those files 100% on a LAN network using SAMBA.
See here: http://www.boingboing.net/2007/12/06/western-digit ...
2. The WD Anywhere software, which is used to access the drive from anywhere on the Internet, is what restricts the access to these files. The software is based on user accounts. If you uploaded the file onto the drive, you'll be able to access it, but other "users" won't be able to.
See here: http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduse ...
"Due to unverifiable media license authentication, the following file types cannot be shared by DIFFERENT USERS using WD Anywhere Access. " - rikwakefield, on 12/07/2007, -3/+79Way to not sell a hard drive.
- timla, on 12/07/2007, -9/+83This stinks of the RIAA.
Somewhere at sometime, the RIAA threatened WD with something like:
"If you do not take steps to keep people form using your hardware to steal our stuff, then we will sue you"
WD then turns around and adds this as a CYA maneuver. This is the only thing that makes sense. Adding this was extra work for WD, and did not increase functionality, why else would they hobble one of their products. - danielce, on 12/07/2007, -11/+77Tell them what you think of this here: http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduse ...
- seinman, on 12/07/2007, -14/+80As the intelligent users of Slashdot have pointed out, this only applies to online sharing. If you set up file sharing through your OS over your own network, nothing is restricted. The drive also comes with software that enables you to get your files remotely via the internet, and that is the software that doesn't allow certain file types. Still kinda sucks, but not as big a deal as people are making it out to be.
- Axfire, on 12/07/2007, -2/+67This is straight up brand suicide. Western Digital may as well print a giant skull and crossbones on every package with the caption: "If you value the freedom of controlling your own data, DON'T buy this drive!"
- nogami, on 12/07/2007, -2/+57Just a couple of points:
-As mentioned at the end, if you are accessing the drive over a LAN, you can indeed use normal samba/windows filesharing to move your files around, and it acts like a normal HD. The "Anywhere" app is separate, and allows you to access your files over the internet remotely. Personally, I have it disabled.
-More importantly (in my opinion), is that this drive is REALLY slow. And by "REALLY" slow, I mean that it will be vastly outperformed by copying files to a USB stick on your machine. Think in the range of 2-4MB/sec range when writing (at least when it's in a RAID-1 configuration). Moving around 80gb of data to it was an "overnight" operation. - aspec, on 12/07/2007, -1/+55Dude, cancel your order. You still have time.
- MalenfantX, on 12/07/2007, -2/+55This is still bad. The administrator should be setting sharing permissions/restrictions, not the drive manufacturer. I'm buying storage from WD, not media licenses.
- JeffD, on 12/07/2007, -2/+53The fact that they decided to do this to their customers warrants a boycott, regardless of work arounds.
- spargett, on 12/07/2007, -7/+54I'm getting really tired of being an assumed criminal. If I use alot of bandwidth, Comcast calls me a criminal. Every store I walk out of makes me show them my receipt. I could go on and on, but I'll save it, for now.
- sonycam, on 12/07/2007, -3/+47Windows Virtual Memory?
- GiggleStick, on 12/07/2007, -4/+48It's a tarp!
- inactive, on 12/07/2007, -5/+48It actually justthe software... It looks like there is a work around, but still that is really, really F___K*D UP.
- PaulPinfield, on 12/07/2007, -3/+44***** Me!!!!!!!!! I just ordered a MyBook 3 hours ago...
- gharding, on 12/07/2007, -6/+45Who exactly installs the software that comes with an external hard drive? They show up the second you plug it in. Even my parents didn't install the software.
- giid, on 12/07/2007, -1/+36On second thought, if you did have the quote correct, then I will guess Carlos Mencia.
- Cerebral, on 12/07/2007, -5/+35Restricting anything = Big Deal
They are a hardware manufacturer. They provide me with the hardware, I choose what I want to put on it/do what I want with it. Anything else and they have stepped over the line. - darkened, on 12/07/2007, -0/+30If you read the article all you need to do is mount it as a regular network drive and not use their software and it's all good.
- blackmage439, on 12/07/2007, -5/+35The title is misleading. The drive itself isn't filtering files, it's the optional software that comes bundled with it.
Regardless, this reeks of record/movie company meddling. They apparently can not only influence Congress, but other companies as well. Their bloated business model needs to be shut down before they become the harbinger of doom for Net Neutrality. - MerryMortician, on 12/07/2007, -0/+29Porn.txt
- Spartan225, on 12/07/2007, -3/+31You should have taken it back on day 2 bud.
- adrianmonk, on 12/07/2007, -4/+32I buried it as inaccurate as well.
Mainly because this device can run Samba and talk on the network. It therefore obviously is NOT a hard drive as the article claims. Instead, it's a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device.
The distinction sounds a bit pedantic, but it's important because there's a HUGE difference in the implications of a DRM-infested plain old hard drive vs. a DRM-infected NAS device. If plain old hard drives start to have DRM, then we have a real problem, but that hasn't happened. (On a side note, if plain old hard drives have DRM that can somehow magically detect whether the operating system intends to put the raw bytes on the network, I'll be pretty damned impressed.) - NatrlSelection, on 12/07/2007, -4/+31I bought a WD My Book World Edition II a few months ago, and I have regretted it since day 1.
- ajent420, on 12/07/2007, -0/+26Step 2) Ya cut a hole in the box
- spalVl, on 12/07/2007, -2/+27Stupid PC Consumers that think "everything needs a CD installed" to use it.
- revarien, on 12/07/2007, -1/+26Oh... there will be a 'patch' because this was an 'unintended bug'. My ass.
- Legato, on 12/07/2007, -1/+25in the case of accidental re-posts, i usually vote one down and one up... but not this time!
- sonycam, on 12/07/2007, -3/+27Point is, I'm guessing 90% of the people who buy a 1TB external hard drive aren't doing it for the word documents they have lying around, it's going to be filled with media files which they've downloaded. It's not right for a hardware company to tell you what you can and can't do with your software. This IS a big deal and there needs to be a backlash to prevent other companies from following suit.
- sonycam, on 12/07/2007, -12/+35I will no longer purchase any Western Digital product.
- KyleMistry, on 12/07/2007, -2/+25...Enclosure, hard drive.
Barely "building your own." - adamb10, on 12/07/2007, -7/+28Why is OGG listed under banned formats when it's open source?
- stoanhart, on 12/07/2007, -0/+21Thanks. Now it makes a lot more sense. Obviously, the title of this story is quite misleading. I was wondering how they could possibly distinguish between a local file access and a remote file access at the firmware level - it would all look the same. Who actually uses the lame in-house crapware that ships with gadgets anyways.
- RetroRufio, on 12/07/2007, -2/+23Get one of these instead, Seagate FTW!
http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-FreeAgent-Desktop-Ex ... - SicklyTea, on 12/07/2007, -2/+22ATTENTION EVERYONE- Spargett owns this comment board, please check with him before posting any comments. Don't be a jerk!
- ausfahrt, on 12/07/2007, -7/+25WD has just sunk their own ship. Way to go I know im going Seagate from now on.
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