This is a great external hard drive to own. It's an inexpensive and reliable way to store large files. It has a sleek, glossy black body with a nice LED blue light that flashes when the hard drive is being used. The only bad thing I've experienced is that my computer won't boot when more than one of these hard drives are connected to my computer. It sits at the loading screen trying to find the hard drive and eventually freezes. It may be my motherboard, however other people have said the same thing about this hard drive on other forums. If you're only buying one, this is definitely the one to get. If you want two or more, research first.
I have been looking at this hard drive for a very long time and comparing it to other brands and what made me decide on this one this time, honestly, was the price. I went to Staples today and saw the same one for $129.99, needless to say I paid much less. This hard drive was very easy to set up simply taking it out of the box, plugging in the USB cable and its off and running. It does come with its own software and under different circumstances I may have used it however I run Windows LiveOne Care and the WD HD is incompatible with the configuration the HD comes with with so, reformatting is necessary. Pros: very easy to install, allows you to use accompanying software and it also comes with Google software (Picassa, Google Desktop, Google toolbar) if you want or need those tools. Cons: Incompatible with existing Windows backup programs also the backup program it does comes with, Memeo, after the trial version you must pay a fee. As far as the Google, those programs are nice but, to me, that's pushy and presumptuous to have those programs part of the automatic downloads that come with the WD HD. The Pros certainly outweigh the Cons and the additional software can be remedied by the Add/Remove Programs. I most definitely recommend reformatting the WD 500gb HD to the windows format as it simply seems to operate more as a cohesive unit with the computer and its automatic if you have it set up to be as with the Windows LiveOne Care. Would highly recommend.Read full review
I've been using Western Digital HD's for nearly 15 years now and never yet have had one of them fail on me (though there's always a first time!) I hooked this one up to my newest system. This drive is attractively designed, quite sleek with good ventilation and very easy to set up; the only things you need to do are (1) plug in the power adapter and connect it to a suitable socket and (2) connect the USB cable to the computer; Windows XP and Vista will do the rest of the setup process automatically. (There's a version for Mac.) As others have noted, the drive is formatted FAT at the factory, so you'll need to reformat it if you want to use NTFS - do remember to copy over the tools to another drive first if you want to use them. They're also decently sturdy; I accidentially knocked the first one off my desk not long after I bought it, but it took no damage and is still running smoothly 8 months later. The drive goes to standby automatically when not in use to save power and reduce heat, so it will take a few seconds to get it spun up after a period of inactivity. Also, USB 2.0, though quite speedy, is still slow compared to the internal hard drive's PATA or SATA connections, so keep that in mind when transferring data. The one issue I feel is missing is a shut off switch. At times I would like it off while the PC is on.Read full review
I liked the style of the case -- looks like a book. I liked the automatic power-on and power-off feature -- it is very handy so I don't have to remember to flip a switch every time. I also liked the extra capacity it provide me for my backup procedures. I rated this good instead of excellent because of the following major annoyance: I did not like the fact that the main menu on the hard drive had an option to "copy" all the trial software to make a backup copy. (I thought this was a good option in case I wanted to try some of it in the future.) However, the option was a complete lie. It immediately started installing ALL the trial software onto my PC. It took me over an hour to uninstall all the stuff. I don't know if I will ever go back and look at the software again with underhanded tricks like that.Read full review
This is a great upgrade for the Vista operating system. I really like Western Digital My Book. I was able to transfere everything thing from my 500mg to the 1tb in a push of the finger. I have one at work and one at home. The one at home had to be replaced as it did not work well with Vista. LOTS of storage space, used for pictures, video's and Norton's backups, letters, I will also be putting my medical history on it, with scanned copies of medical records, bills and other items pertaining to my and my husband medical history. The best part I can take it with me everywhere/anywhere.
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