Western Digital My Passport Essential 250 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive (Midnight Black)

by Western Digital

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 5 x 3.1 x 0.6 inches ; 3.7 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0012GK3MQ
• Item model number: WDME2500TN
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (649 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 2, 2001

Product Description

Capacity: 250 GB | Color: Midnight Black

From the Manufacturer

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.* Works with Windows® and Mac®. Synchronize files between home and office and encrypt everything on the drive for added security.

Key Features

Sleek and colorful - This beautiful portable drive, available in eleven eye-catching colors, is light and easy to carry and fits smoothly in your hand or pocket. USB powered - Powered directly from the USB port on your PC. No separate power supply is needed*. Synchronized and secure - 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) Compatible - Use with Windows® and Macintosh® computers Includes Google™ software - Search your drive, manage your photos, and simplify Web searches with included Google software. (Windows only) * An optional cable is available for the few computers that limit power from the USB port.

Ideal For

• Storing or backing up your digital music, videos and photos.
• Carrying important files and e-mail between work and home or on the road and keeping them in sync.
• Sharing large files between office and home, between PC and Mac.
• Pick from multiple colors to express your unique style.

System Requirements

Windows

• Available USB port
• Windows 2000/XP/Vista™

Macintosh

• Available USB port
• Mac® OS X 10.4.11+
  
  Compatibility may vary depending on user's hardware configuration and operating system.

Package Contents

• My Passport Essential portable hard drive
• USB 2.0 cable
• Quick Install Guide

Which external drive interface is the right choice: USB, FireWire, eSATA, or Gigabit Ethernet? The right choice depends on compatibility with your computer and how you want to use your device. First, look at the connections on your computer.

Note: For convenience and flexibility, choose a WD hard drive with both USB and FireWire interfaces
(available in dual and triple interface configurations) or with both USB and eSATA interfaces.

Product Description

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.* Works with Windows® and Mac®. Synchronize files between home and office and encrypt everything on the drive for added security.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

191 of 197 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quiet, Easy to Use, and SUPER Small ... An Amazing Product!, May 24, 2008

By 

Erica J. Dymond (Bethlehem, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Western Digital My Passport Essential 250 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive (Midnight Black) (Personal Computers)

The Western Digital Passport reduced my 388 CD rack to a pocket-sized miracle. Likewise, all the photos, lesson plans, and Power-Point presentations that were cluttering my computer are now on my Passport.

Here's the low-down. I was a bit worried that I might have difficultly setting-up this little guy. My fears were alleviated in about 15 seconds. About a month ago, I downgraded from Vista to XP and had NO PROBLEMS with the installation of this product ... whatsoever (seems some people who run Vista have been having some trouble). It could not have been easier. (Thank you Western Digital!)

Now, the pre-installed software is REALLLLLY bad (that part is true). Western Digital should rethink this approach since nearly everyone removes it (and it deters some people from even purchasing their products). Minus one-star for being SERIOUSLY annoying!!

As mentioned by other reviewers, the product is whisper-quiet. And, while some folks found that they need an USB Power Adapter Y Cable, I did not. I have a two-year old Alien Area 51 m5550 and experienced no problems with power (regarding this product). I would advise that you purchase the Passport without the substitute cable and give it a try before you invest the extra cash.

And yes, the product is glossy, so it shows fingerprints and can scratch easily. Amazon currently recommends the CaseLogic Small External Hard Drive Case (Black) but the case is much too large and the Passport remains too loosely confined. Instead, I bought the Caselogic Neoprene LHDC-1 Portable Hard Drive Case (Dark Gray). (It is soft and protects the product's appearance while in transit). If anyone finds a better fit, please feel free to comment on this post.

Bottomline: Regardless of the unwanted pre-installed software, this product exceeded my expectations. It is quiet, petite, and pretty amazing! It handled a tremendous volume of work fairly quickly (I was prepared for some lag, of course) and makes my life much tidier. Highly recommended!!

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compact, sleek and works great, May 16, 2008

By 

Nuknuk (Springfield, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Western Digital My Passport Essential 250 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive (Midnight Black) (Personal Computers)

Works with my PCs and Macbook. (Make sure you are using the correct USB plug on your Mac laptop. Not all of the USB outlets in Mac laptops have sufficient power to drive an external drive. Read the manual to find which is which).

No review for the included software. Since most of my experience with softwares that comes with products like camera, external drives are rarely satisfactory, software was not installed in the first place.

Pros:
- Lowest price I found for a 2.5" external drive
- No need for a power brick. It is powered by the USB 2.
- So quiet, Just like an Ipod.
- Small enough to fit in your pocket. 0.59" (H) x 5" (L) x 3" (W)
- Comes with the USB cable

Cons:
- Shiny Black finish is easy to scratch
- No case included

117 of 133 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars junk, September 12, 2008

By 

Virginius T. Swimme - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Western Digital My Passport Essential 250 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive (Midnight Black) (Personal Computers)

I purchased 2 of these units for backup of data. 0ne failed in 13 months and the other failed in 16 months all data was lost. They want $100 to evaluate the drive and $500 plus to recover the data if in fact it is recoverable.

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