Western Digital 160GB 2.5-inch Passport USB Portable Hard Drive

by Western Digital

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 3.1 x 0.6 inches ; 3.7 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000J1HPXK
• Item model number: WDXMS1600TN
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (224 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 7, 2004

Product Description

From the manufacturer

Pack up your office files and take them home. Carry thousands of songs or pictures. These drives are simple to use, light and easy to carry, and require no power adapter--they are powered directly through the USB cable.

Key Features

Easy: Installation is a snap because you don't really "install" this drive; you just plug it in and it's ready to use. There is no CD to install; the included software loads from the drive the first time you plug it in.

Smart: Powered by the USB bus, so no separate power supply needed.*

Ultra-portable: This ultra-portable drive fits easily in your pocket or purse, weighs only a few ounces and holds tons of valuable data.

Synchronized and Secure: 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)

Google software: Search your drive, manage your photos, and simplify Web searches with included Google software. (Windows only).

Fast: 5400 RPM hard drive – almost 24% faster than 4200 RPM drives.

Compatible - Use with Windows and Macintosh computers

Ideal For:

• Carrying important files and e-mail between work and home or on the road
• Sharing large files between office and home, between Mac and PC
• Backing up your existing notebook hard drive for extra data safety

Product Description

High-performance portable storage for your Mac and PC. Light and rugged, it is easy to carry and no external power adapter is needed. Comes with sync encryption and Google software.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

151 of 154 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Price in a Compact Package, April 21, 2007

By 

Eagle Vision (Southeastern United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Western Digital 160GB 2.5-inch Passport USB Portable Hard Drive (Personal Computers)

This hard drive is worthy of consideration given its compact size, capacity and ease of set up. I have 3 external hard drives, all of which need an AC adapter. Given that the weight of those are quite heavy and the inconvenience of needing a plug, I needed an alternative.

I attached the USB cable to the laptop and the drive, and that was it. Before saving any data, you might as well format it to NTFS, since FAT32 is the default (files greater than 4 GB minus 2 bytes won't transfer on FAT32)

Just right click with the new hard drive highlighted and click "Format" with NTFS selected and you're off to archiving your data. Even more importantly is the ability to back up data on the laptop and have some convenient method of restoring the information.

Powered through the USB cable, this convenient package eliminates the need for an additional power outlet. This is especially useful for the traveling user where all you may get is a plug for the laptop. This unit is quiet and I barely hear it which limits any distraction from the 'plug in units' that I own.

The case is about the size of a 30 GB video ipod with a glossy black finish. My only grip is the 8 inch cable that accompanies it but it is hardly a showstopper.

Your other brand considerations are the Smart disk Firelite which is the pioneer of the portable high capacity HDs and the Seagate double USB corded hard drives.

Seagate 120 GB 2.5" Portable External Hard Drive 8 MB Cache ( ST9120801U2-RK )

Wolverine Data Portable Series 120GB External Hard Drive USB 2.0 ( 2120 )

SmartDisk FireLite - Hard drive - 100 GB - external - Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB -

For cost, capacity, styling and size, this one has absolutely NO comparison.

Any case that can hold a Nintendo DS will hold this drive. Here are some examples:
Nintendo DS Lite Carrying Case

Nintendo DS Lite Ultimate Leather Case



Two thumbs up.

82 of 83 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars No Power Booster Cable, July 9, 2007

By 

Michael D. Turner (Paget Bermuda) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Western Digital 160GB 2.5-inch Passport USB Portable Hard Drive (Personal Computers)

This is a very good drive but be aware that it does not work with all USB ports - a lot of them will not supply enough power to run the drive so you will need the power booster cable WDCA029RNN which connects to 2 USB ports to get enough power to the drive. The pity is that WD do not include this as standard since quite a number people buying this item will actually need it to run the drive. Would have got 5 stars were it not for this.[[Western Digital 160 GB USB 2.0 Passport 2.5" External Hard Drive ( WDXMS1600TN )

77 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Many Laptops won't provide enough USB power, May 27, 2007

By 

electriccafe2 (Wakefield, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Western Digital 160GB 2.5-inch Passport USB Portable Hard Drive (Personal Computers)

I needed to move my data from a Dell Inspiron 8500 (a large laptop) but when I plugged the drive in I got 'USB Power Overload' messages and the drive wouldn't power up. Tried it in a few other models of Dell laptops in the office and got a 50% success rate.. only some laptops had enough power to drive this thing.

I ended up spending another $20 on an AC powered USB hub to get it working. The extra gear makes this drive much less portable. Otherwise it works fine, and no problems when used with a desktop machine.