Mac users often get the short end of the stick, since many data storage peripherals that have been released are missing the much faster FireWire port. Fret not, as Western Digital has decided to throw in the towel by adding a high speed FireWire 800 interface to its range of popular My Passport Studio portable drives, finally offering Mac users as well as other creative professionals the fast performance they need. The new interface will no doubt be the perfect storage companion for the newly introduced Apple MacBook Pro computer. Just to give you a glance of what FireWire connectivity can do, read on right after the jump.

According to Jim Welsh, senior vice president and general manager of WD’s Branded Products and Consumer Electronics Groups, “Photographers and videographers, be they creative pros or Mac computer enthusiasts, have a genuine need for large amounts of fast, portable storage for their high-definition files. With a new FireWire 800 interface, My Passport Studio speeds up editing and transferring of big media files making it perfect for performance-minded Mac computer users on the go.”

Users will definitely fall in love with the integrated illuminated capacity gauge that informs users of just how much spare space left there is within the hard drive, and this gauge is powered as long as the device is plugged into a computer. Of course, if you happen to be missing a FireWire port on your computer, there is always the good old standby – USB 2.0, although the data transfer rate of USB 2.0 won’t be able to hold a candle to what FireWire offers.

You will be able to pick up the new My Passport Studio with FireWire 800/400 from select retailers and at WD’s online store, picking up the 400GB and 500GB models for $229.99 and $249.99, respectively.

Press Release