Iomega's New Hard Drive Favors iPad-Owning Mac Users

How can hard-drive companies jump on the iPad bandwagon? Seagate and Hitachi have created wireless drives designed to work with Apple's tablet. Iomega is taking another approach. Its Mac Companion Hard Drive is a standard USB hard disk - and a desktop model at that -- designed to charge an iPad.

As seen above, the Companion features an Apple-esque design and is sized to fit on the stand of an iMac or Apple monitor. It can connect to a Mac via FireWire 400/800 or USB 2.0, and has both a two-port USB 2.0 hub and the high-powered charging port required by the iPad. (The USB 2.0 is a tipoff that Iomega really intends this drive for Mac users -- otherwise, the company has been aggressively moving to USB 3.0, a technology which no Mac yet supports.)

The Companion is available in 2TB ($195) and 3TB ($295) versions, carries a three-year warranty, and will be available only at the Apple Store at first.