WD Passport Portable Hard Drive 250 GB/Go Reviews

• Western Digital Passport 250 GB - Nice Looking Portable External HD

  
  By A17BUUBOU0598B on 2008-04-17
  WD Passport Portable Hard Drive 250 GB/Go
  
  Out of the passport lineup, this is the fourth one I've bought and I couldn't be more happy with them. Passport hard drives also have a new and slightly thicker essentials version. I own both, which other than the slightly different form factor are very similar in terms of performance. Both are great for mobile backups of data, but both are also slower to copy large backups than their A/C powered MyBook big-brothers.
  
  There's also a newer version that isn't out on Amazon yet and an Elite version.
  
  The Looks
  
  The drive has the shiny exterior sported by most passport drives as well as the new MyBooks. The body has an offset shape with a blue activity light. The white version may appeal a little more to Mac users, but the black version is the same in every other way.
  
  The case does scratch in transit and the surface also attracts fingerprints and dust. But the look is still nice and you can easily purchase a case or holder for the drive if it bothers you. Most versions don't ship with the included case, but you can pick it up for $10.
  
  The Features
  
  Transfer speeds are ok but definitely slower than it's A/C powered big-brothers. This guy is still limited by the 480 Mps connection speed of USB 2.0, but performs somewhat slower than this when performing large backups. The USB2.0 speed rating can not really be achieved in production and you will get a fraction of that. But it's a trade-off that's worth it since it's USB-powered.
  
  The software utilities included with this device will be most useful for beginners. I tested the backup software in particular but found it to be slow and impractical. It works, but cutting and pasting worked better. Take my advice: don't use this utilities and just do cut and paste backups and saves to this drive.
  
  I've had no problem connecting this drive to any computer, including Windows XP, Vista and Mac OS X.
  
  Reliability
  
  I've had good luck with the passport line of drives. They seem to have lower failure rates than many MyBook drives, though I also own those and haven't had issues their either. I hope it stays that way. Maybe my gentle care has helped me to get lucky with these guys so far. Maybe it's because these drives are generally off when in transit. Regardless, these guys have held up fine.
  
  Pros
  + Nice portable form factor that easily connects via USB
  + USB powered, no A/C required, which is great for portability
  + Works well on Windows Vista, XP and Mac OS X
  + Easy to set up disk encryption for security and privacy
  + Nice looks, in my opinion better looking than the new essentials version
  + Turns on and off with your computer or easily ejected via system tray
  + Easy plug-and-play installation
  + Integrates nicely with my growing stable of WD MyBook drives
  + Included software may be useful for some novices
  + 250 GB capacity is just about right for most users
  + At this price, a better value than the 320GB passport
  
  Cons
  - Somewhat slow file transfer speeds for larger backups
  - Included software not useful for power users
  - Shiny body attracts scratch, fingerprints and dust
  - Have to spend your cash to get a case that should have been included
  - Larger sizes available
  
  
  Conclusion
  
  This drive is great or those who want a portable drive for backups on the run. You can get this 250GB version for around $100, versus the $150 charged for the 320 GB Western Digital 320 GB Passport 2.5" USB 2.0 Hard Drive. That makes the price ($ per GB) better and this 250 GB unit a better value than the higher capacity 320 GB. Other than price and capacity there is no real difference between them. Get one soon!
  
  Enjoy!
  
  
  

• Works perfectly

  
  By A2CZCOCX2G4XA4 on 2008-02-07
  I bought this product on amazon, and it works beautifully. I just plugged it in, and it was immediately detected. When I first took it out of the package, I thought there was some mistake because of how lightweight this thing is; it almost feels like a solid state drive (definitely isn't though). It's not as fast as the WD MyBook, but that's because its only 5400RPM as opposed to 7200RPM, but its definitely worth it for the extra portability. Also, the white looks beautiful next to my Mac!
  
  

• Device not recognized

  
  By ALZA5CWFRHTY1 on 2008-01-24
  I am really upset. I pulled this straight out of the plastic and plugged it in. XP immediately reported unrecognized device. The packaging includes a pull-out manual which said to ensure that the latest windows updates were retrieved and that the device was compatible with 2000/XP/Vista.
  
  I went onto Western Digital's home site and they have all other models besides the one that I purchased (allbeit from Best Buy). Colors included were black, and silver, but to my disappointment, no white. Just my luck, I live in the Caribbean and now I have to pay US$500 just to catch a flight to Miami to return it. I may as well just toss the damn thing in the bin. Good job, Western Digital, in selling me a product that looks real "sleek" but just does not work.
  
  Robin
  
  

• WD Passport Portable

  
  By A2DSB3556MW53N on 2008-02-21
  This is an awesome product, comes with a very short cord, but its usable. I purchased the white one to match my white macbook.
  
  This is my 3rd passport and by far the largest size. With the price drops, they are more affordable.
  
  With more and more portable apps. this is a convenient way to travel without a computer.
  
  

• Love the small size

  
  By A10IVVHO0B0RAQ on 2008-02-19
  I love how it is so small yet is the biggest external drive I have. I'd recommend it to anyone.
  
  
• Just what I always wanted...
  By A1RQNLRW4E6B9S on 2008-02-20
  I have to admit, I was skeptical when I was reading the reviews for this device, as there were a lot of mixed reviews. Most of the reviews are for the black colored version, but of the same device. Everyone with bad reviews was complaining about how it doesn't work properly and accessories are too pricey. I decided to go ahead and take the risk that it might work in my personal one and nothing else (or not at all).
  Well, I have plugged mine into about 6 different computers (with the cable it came with) and it has worked like a champ in every one! Here is the kicker: I am in the military and the computers I have been using are not what you would call "up-to-date". That fact leads me to believe all you Macintosh users need to get rid of your crap-tastic computers and switch over to Windows-based PCs. I trust in Dell, but that's just me!
  The Western Digital Passport is an AWESOME product, and I use it daily now, just like a thumb-drive. WELL worth the purchase price. Did I mention AWESOME?
  
  
• Portable gem
  By A2LW4EZI0O621T on 2008-04-13
  This is my third WD passport. I use them to store data and for backup. Nothing to install. Small and light, easy to carry. Now available in a variety of colors to color code for use. Reformat to NTFS before using.
  
  
• I had to send it back after 2 weeks.
  By on 2008-06-11
  After using this product just fine with my dell for two weeks, I got a new Apple computer. When trying to reformat this hard drive, It totally failed. Thankfully wd honored the warranty and promptly sent me a new one. I should note that this was after I tried to navigate their user-unfriendly website for an hour and then I got yelled at by both the Apple Genuis Bar who said I must have broken it and the wd "help" line by a man who hardly spoke english and did not want to help me at all. That said the new one works just fine... for now.
  
  
• Compact and Fast
  By A2QBBVFBE8A76J on 2008-05-19
  Hard Drive is Small and Compact. Very Fast. Be careful with the bundled Sync software, that encryption feature could lead to problems later on.Stick to a regular file System. Very Silent. Gets a little warm with extended use, but no issues thus far.
  
  
• WD Passport Portable 250
  By A3TA5TY1QH0SJG on 2008-05-20
  Great buy small and giant in capacity. I own more than one and it starts right up great for travel.
  
  

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