I just bought my first MyBook Studio 1TB for use with my Mac today (2007 MBP running 10.6.2, I use FW800 only). Within 2hrs of use, I have seen the ugliness of the software (Smartware). Trying to be constructive and make the most of it, lemme summarize my suggestions to the software department of WD.
- Separate backup and hd settings into different software
I really dislike how Smartware starts scanning for changes each time I start it, it slows the system and makes Smartware unresponsive for quite a while till I can do something else. Labeling, security settings and capacity feedback are the good things that are unique to the drive, please make them really accessible and quick for someone who prefers Time Machine over Smartware backup. If you google on Smartware vs Time Machine, you will notice that most people vote against Smartware and there is really a reason for that.
- If possible, open up the hardware encryption interface so that software like TrueCrypt http://www.truecrypt.org/ can take advantage of it. You guys are selling the hardware, please make it convenient to developers.
Now, some problems while using the drive.
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The VCD does not always come up. If I eject the VCD drive and unplug Mybook without turning off its power, the next time plug it back in, only the hard disk shows up in Finder as volume. Only when I completely turn off Mybook and turn it back on, that VCD gets mounted. I don’t know if this is good or bad, but I think it’s inconsistent.
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If I set “don’t bring up Smartware when I connect the drive” in Smartware and at the same time the pasword for the drive is set, the “unlock drive” will have no affect from the MenuStatus. The console log shows:
2010/2/25 下午6:50:13 WD SmartWare[563] -[NSCFString doButton1:]: unrecognized selector sent to instance 0x1e8b460
2010/2/25 下午6:50:13 WD SmartWare[563] -[NSCFString doButton1:]: unrecognized selector sent to instance 0x1e8b460
2010/2/25 下午6:50:14 WD SmartWare[563] -[NSCFString doButton1:]: unrecognized selector sent to instance 0x1e8b460
2010/2/25 下午6:50:14 WD SmartWare[563] -[NSCFString doButton1:]: unrecognized selector sent to instance 0x1e8b460
2010/2/25 下午6:50:15 WD SmartWare[563] -[NSCFString doButton2:]: unrecognized selector sent to instance 0x1e8b460
2010/2/25 下午6:50:15 WD SmartWare[563] -[NSCFString doButton2:]: unrecognized selector sent to instance 0x1e8b460
2010/2/25 下午6:50:18 WD SmartWare[563] -[NSCFString doButton1:]: unrecognized selector sent to instance 0x1e8b460
2010/2/25 下午6:50:18 WD SmartWare[563] -[NSCFString doButton1:]: unrecognized selector sent to instance 0x1e8b460
2010/2/25 下午6:50:25 StatusMenu[456] Task /usr/sbin/diskutil ( mountDisk, “/dev/disk0” ) completed.
2010/2/25 下午6:50:25 StatusMenu[456] Task /usr/sbin/diskutil succeeded.
2010/2/25 下午6:50:25 StatusMenu[456] Volume(s) mounted successfully
2010/2/25 下午6:50:30 com.apple.launchd.peruser.501[235] (com.apple.pbs) Throttling respawn: Will start in 10 seconds
2010/2/25 下午6:50:39 StatusMenu[456] Task /usr/sbin/diskutil ( mountDisk, “/dev/disk0” ) completed.
2010/2/25 下午6:50:39 StatusMenu[456] Task /usr/sbin/diskutil succeeded.
2010/2/25 下午6:50:39 StatusMenu[456] Volume(s) mounted successfully
2010/2/25 下午6:50:42 com.apple.launchd.peruser.501[235] (com.apple.pbs) Throttling respawn: Will start in 8 seconds
2010/2/25 下午6:51:08 StatusMenu[456] Task /usr/sbin/diskutil ( mountDisk, “/dev/disk0” ) completed.
2010/2/25 下午6:51:08 StatusMenu[456] Task /usr/sbin/diskutil succeeded.
2010/2/25 下午6:51:08 StatusMenu[456] Volume(s) mounted successfully
and yet the password input dialog does not show up. Only by starting Smartware can I really unlock the drive. Please contact me off forums if any WD developer is interested in solving this problem.
I would be using TrueCrypt and Time Machine till WD can improve on the software. If WD confirms that no improvements will be made to the software, I can stop pursuing this.
