Toshiba Canvio portable hard drives

According to research sponsored by Toshiba, more Americans are afraid of losing digital data — photos, documents, etc — than they are about losing their wallet or an audit by the IRS. This is probably because more people have suffered a digital loss than have been audited by the IRS — we all say “It can’t happen to me!” until it actually does happen, and only then do we change our behaviors. But the reality is, backing up data has historically been tedious, if not actually challenging. And restores are so rarely done as to require the user to search for the long discarded product manual so they can figure out how to do it…

Toshiba is rolling out Canvio external hard drives, in sizes from 500GB to 1TB, and bundling NTI® BackupNow EZ™ software in order to simplify data backups for average users. I don’t know how this compares to Apple’s Time Machine backups yet. I’m awaiting a demo unit, and will provide a full review soon. In the meantime, here’s the press release.

TOSHIBA INTRODUCES THE CANVIO:
A POCKET-SIZED ONE TERABYTE BACKUP SOLUTION
TO EASE CONSUMER FEARS ABOUT LOSING DIGITAL MEMORIES

Recent Survey Shows Nearly Half of Americans Are Worried about
Computer Crashes and Majority Believe that Backing Up Computers is Crucial

IRVINE, Calif., March 29, 2010 – According to new research, Americans worry more about losing their digital valuables, such as family photos, home videos and important documents, from a computer crash than having a wallet lost or stolen and being audited by the IRS. In response, Toshiba today introduced the Canvio™ Portable Hard Drive product line, an easy-to-use computer backup solution with up to one terabyte (TB1) of storage capacity to protect the enormous amounts of digital content Americans are creating and storing on home computers.
According to the recent survey conducted by Impulse Research and sponsored by Toshiba2, 70 percent of Americans have lost some type of data on their computers. The vast majority (89 percent) of consumers are aware of the importance of regularly backing up their computers to avoid losses; however, most (57 percent) never back up or only do it when they think of it.

How Can Consumers Be Saved From Themselves?
A leader in delivering mobile storage products to consumers, as well as to computer and consumer electronics manufacturers, Toshiba designed and introduced the Canvio Portable Hard Drive to help consumers make protecting their digital memories an uncomplicated and regular practice. The Canvio appeals to consumers with diverse digital comfort levels – it’s easy to use with simple plug-and-play operation for novices and offers customizable options for tech-savvy users.
The stylish Canvio product line comes in five colors and four storage capacities, ranging from 500GB to 1TB. At the top capacity, the Canvio holds up to 285,000 digital photos, 263,000 digital music files, or 820 digital movies3. Consumers can easily back up entire music, photo or home video libraries with this vast amount of storage space.
Smaller than a postcard and weighing about six ounces, the Canvio is portable, providing a great emergency solution for saving digital memories in the event of a home catastrophe. In fact, survey respondents ranked their digital memories third in a list of items they would take with them in the event of a home evacuation, excluding family members and pets – only behind money and family photos.

Who’s Concerned About Digital Memory Loss?
Concern for protecting valuable digital assets is on all consumers’ minds – but it’s top-of-mind for some more than others. According to the survey:
• Fear of losing computer data (cited by 42 percent of respondents) ranked just under fear of being laid off (46 percent) – a telling statement in this economy.
• Digitally savvy young people (18-24 years old) are most concerned about computer crashes (65 percent), listing it as their biggest fear, right after someone breaking into their home (70 percent).
• Women, in particular, are concerned about the security of family memories – 78 percent of women respondents indicated they are primarily responsible for maintaining family records and memories to pass down to future generations. These “chief memory officers” say that family videos and photos, as well as ancestor photos, are the most precious memories they have.
“If the thought of losing all of your family’s important documents, photos, and music makes you shudder, spare yourself the worry by backing up your files,” says the product reviews staff from MomCentral.com. “Toshiba’s light and sleek Canvio Portable Hard Drive makes it easy to save your data, whether you’re working from home or on-the-go.”

Backup Made Simple
With an easy setup process and “set-it-and-forget-it” operation, the Canvio product line can automatically and regularly back up a computer while in use, removing the primary barrier to backing up – 54 percent of survey respondents said they simply forget about it.
Building on the success of its previous portable hard drives, the Canvio product line features easy-to-use Windows™-based NTI® BackupNow EZ™ software, upgraded with better search capabilities and simpler step-by-step restore functionality to retrieve lost files. For advanced users, the Canvio offers even more customization features than previous Toshiba personal storage products, including extensive backup options, advanced restore functionalities and an ability to overwrite specific original files. The Canvio also provides an option for complete system backup, enabling users to restore select files or the entire computer, even if Windows is unable to start.
“As the survey shows, home computers hold very personal and valuable assets, and yet the majority of people aren’t doing enough to help protect that precious data,” said Manuel Camarena, product manager for consumer storage at Toshiba Storage Device Division. “For consumers who know backup is important and want an easy path to peace of mind, the Canvio is a no-brainer. It simply acts like an insurance policy against the loss of crucial data and precious digital memories.”

Toshiba Canvio Product Details
The Canvio product line comes in an array of colors, including Raven Black, Satin Silver, Liquid Blue, Rocket Red and Komodo Green. Toshiba has reduced the physical size of this personal storage line by 25 percent and added environmentally-friendly packaging, delivering a 35 percent reduction in total volume and using 100 percent recyclable materials.
The Canvio product line is available now at www.toshibadirect.com or through major retailers and online outlets. For a complete list of retailers offering the Toshiba Canvio, please visit www.wheretobuy.toshibastorage.com.
Suggested retail prices by capacities are:
• $119.99 for the 500GB Canvio
• $139.99 for the 640GB Canvio
• $159.99for the 750GB Canvio Plus
• $199.99 for the 1TB Canvio Plus