Review
This is my third passport drive. My first was a Western Digital 160GB 2.5-inch Passport USB Portable Hard Drive, my second a Western Digital 320 GB Passport 2.5″ USB 2.0 Hard Drive and now this 500gb model.
The 160gb and the 320gb looked identical while this 500GB model looks more like a little book (curved ends – hard to describe). From a size standpoint they’re pretty much the same. The other two cosmetic things are that the 160 and 320 had a blue little light on the side opposite to where you plugged it in and they also had a cover for the USB connector. The new drive has a recessed plug and a little light with a USB silhouette on the same side as the drive.
On the inside, it’s the standard 2.5″ 500GB drive which is for now “cavernous” until the folks at WD figure out how to cram 4TBs into a 2.5 passport which I’m sure that’s comming.
Overall, I’m extremely pleased with this drive. It’s almost always plugged in to my machine, particularly because I had an 80gb drive on my laptop but recently I upgraded that to a Western Digital 320GB Scorpio Black with Free Fall Sensor SATA 7200 RPM 2.5IN 16MB WD3200BJKT Bulk/OEM Hard Drive WD3200BJKT so the passport will be a backup device rather than something I have to connect everytime.
Overall, extremely happy with this drive…of note, it comes in different colors too.
I can’t say enough great things about Western Digital or these Passport drives.
I will say this — every single hard drive that I own is a Western Digital – including the drive in my Tivo. That’s how much I rely on these technologies. Twice in my 15 year history of using WD have I had problems. The first one was a manufacturer’s defect and WD sent me a replacement before I shipped my bad drive out to them and they offered to retrieve my data. The second time, I got struck by lighting so I can hardly blame WD for that. Overall fantastic products and fantastic served from a great company. Yes, they have a loyal customer here. I won’t use anything else.
Feature
- Box Contents – My Passport Essential 500GB Portable USB Hard Drive, USB 2.0 cable, Quick Install guide
- 500GB Hard Drive Capacity
- Installation is a snap because you don’t really install this drive; you just plug it in and it’s ready to use.
- Powered by the USB bus. No separate power supply is needed
- This ultra-portable drive fits easily in your pocket or purse, weighs only a few ounces, and holds tons of valuable data
Overview
These elegant portable drives are simple to use, light and easy to carry, and require no power adapter — they are powered directly through the USB cable. Pack up your office files and take them home. Carry thousands of songs or pictures. Synchronize files between home and office and encrypt everything on the drive for added security. WD Sync synchronization and encryption software lets you take your critical data with you. Plug My Passport into any PC, edit files, read e-mail, and view photos. Then sync all of your changes back to your home or office computer. Your data is protected with 128-bit encryption (Windows only). Perfect for the business traveler who needs to transfer large amounts of data from laptop to clients or just daily backups in case of accidents from mishandled luggage to coffee spills. Also comes in handy if you’re worried about laptop theft and someone else having access to your important data, you can store it on this portable encrypted drive instead. For all those precious pictures, videos, music and data files, this external hard drive is a must have. WD Sync synchronization and encryption software lets you save your critical data and take it with you. Plug your drive into any PC, edit files, read e-mail, and view photos. Then sync all of your changes back to your home or office computer (Windows only) Search your drive, manage your photos, and simplify Web searches with included Google software (Windows only) Up to 480Mb/sec Bus Transfer Rate with USB 2.0 System Requirements – Windows 2000/XP/Vista, Mac OS X (10.1.5 or later), Available USB port Approximate Unit Dimensions – 0.59 (H) x 4.96 (L) x 3.14 (W) Approximate Unit Weight – 0.23lb
Specifications
Available at Amazon Check Price Now!
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 31, 2009 09:45:42
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