Western Digital 120 GB Passport Portable USB 2.0 External Hard Drive (WDXML1200UEBN)

by Western Digital

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000G2BDZ8
• Item model number: WDXML1200UEBN
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 18, 2006

Product Description

From the manufacturer

High-performance portable storage for your Mac and PC. Light and rugged, it’s easy to carry and no external power adapter is needed. Comes with WD Sync software that turns any PC into your own protected workspace. Instantly add portable storage for all your business files, music, video, and games. This high-performance, 5400 RPM drive is simple to set up, light and easy to carry, and requires no power adapter--it’s powered directly through the USB cable. The included WD Sync software lets you turn any PC into your own protected workspace.

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 is needed.1

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)

Tough - Maximum protection from data loss with a rugged, protective case and shock-tolerant 2.5-inch hard drive.

Power Stingy - Design prolongs laptop battery life.

Cool and Quiet - Ultra quiet. Cool running.

Smooth - Elegant, soft-touch case.

Safety Tested - One of the few external drives with certification to meet all applicable safety requirements.

Compatible - Use with Windows and Macintosh PCs

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

Instantly add 120 GB of portable storage for all your business files, music, video, and games with a WD Passport portable USB 2.0 hard drive. This high-performance, 5400 RPM drive is simple to use, light and easy to carry, and requires no power adapter for most systems it's powered directly through the USB cable. WD understands the importance of the information on your drive so we've designed a cool, rugged, shock-absorbing case to protect the 2.5-inch WD hard drive and the data on it. Fast 5400 RPM 2.5-inch drive performance Light and compact Back up your existing notebook hard drive for data protection, or just use the drive to share files between computers Drive can be locked for extra security Power-conserving design prolongs laptop battery life Compatible with USB 1.1 or USB 2.0 ports running Windows 98SE/Me/2000/XP or Mac OS v9.2.2 or Mac OS X v10.1.5 or higher

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Only for desktop users---it won't work with many laptops!, March 1, 2007

By 

Ryuji Suzuki (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Western Digital 120 GB Passport Portable USB 2.0 External Hard Drive (WDXML1200UEBN) (Personal Computers)

If you need a device to carry data between your office 1, office 2, and perhaps office 3, all being desktop, this device may work for you. However, be careful in selecting the USB cable. Some cables don't have enough current capacity, and the drive may not start. With some cables, you have to play with the connector to make sure the disk spins up. I think most desktop computers, when connected directly to the box or a powered USB hub, this disk can spin correctly.

If you need a way to exchange data among laptops, or between desktops and laptops, this product probably won't work for you. It is more likely to be a source of frustration to say the least. The power supplied by laptops via USB is most likely insufficient to spin up this drive. Mac's are known not to work with these drives. Some PCs may work but even then it'll eat battery very fast. For these applications, you might want to use flash memory sticks (limited to 8GB max, and more commonly 2GB or 4GB) or powered external HDDs (can be as large as 1TB, but much bigger than Passport). If pocket hdd is most desirable, get an iPod 80GB and use it as a HDD.

Some other manufacturers ship their pocket HDDs with a booster cable, with two USB ends that plug into the computer. One plug is for data plus power, another is just for power. This type of cable can double the power taken from the computer, and can make it work with Macbook. However, Western does not ship their products with such cables, and they do not actively sell such cables.

Another problem is that the bare HDD in this product is fragile. It doesn't take the level of shock that 3.5" HDDs can take these days. If you drop it on the floor, there is a high chance that the drive is killed. So be very careful in using adequate protection when carrying this drive.

One thing I noted is that this disk does not spin down even during a long period of inactivity, or even when the host computer is put to sleep mode. Why is that??

What I like to see is a pocket HDD with internal battery like iPod. iPod never has insufficient power problem with MacBooks because it has internal battery to spin up the disk. Of course, iPod disk is smaller, slower and more expensive than the disk in Passport, but why can't WD or Seagate make these drives with iPod battery? Most people use these disks just to sync the data at the beginning and at the end of each shift. So the battery can charge up for hours between minutes of use, and it is sufficient especially if the disk is allowed to spin down. So it appears to me that incorporating a small battery is a simple solution. Why they don't do it for extra $30 is beyond my understanding.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Needs an external power supply, December 8, 2006

By 

Nichole May-anne Liboiron "Maxbot" (New york, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Western Digital 120 GB Passport Portable USB 2.0 External Hard Drive (WDXML1200UEBN) (Personal Computers)

A macbook pro doesn;t have enough power to spin up the drive. Before you buy this, check to see how much power your USB ports put out. Most are 500. This needs 1000. You can buy a power supply or a USB booster for it, but they seem to be permanently out of stock at WD, which means the drive is totally useless to me.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Runs smoothly. Great performance so far!, January 2, 2007

By 

Izgil Mardahayev (Brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Western Digital 120 GB Passport Portable USB 2.0 External Hard Drive (WDXML1200UEBN) (Personal Computers)

I purchased 2 of these drives from Dell and not complaining at all! They're extremely quiet, very light, and don't require power cord (even though it comes with the drive). I'm using both of them at the same time with my Dell E1705 laptop. Have had them for about 2 months.

P.S. I'm talking about silver ones. Wanted to buy 160GB black ones but changed my mind after reading some of the reviews here. Would rather buy a couple more of silvers.