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| WD My Passport |
Click Here to Get a Great Deal on WD My Passport Hard Drives
This posting is intended to provide a rundown of the available My Passport drives so you can see the differences between the various models at a glance and make a more informed buying decision.
Designed by Western Digital, the My Passport line boasts several different models that are available in a variety of colors and capacities. When it comes to portability, the WD My Passport hard drives fit the bill quite nicely. All the models weigh around half a pound, give or take a few ounces. They also fit easily into your pocket, since they’re all about the size of an index card and less than 1” thick.
Here is a listing of the models available as of this writing, along with a brief description:
WD My Passport Essential.WD My Passport Essential
- 500 GBUSB 2.0/3.0Comes formatted out of the box for a PC (Windows)
- Available colors are black, blue, silver, and red
- Powered from the USB cable
- Automatic and continuous backup
- Optional back up and configuration utilities
- Password protection and encryption.
WD My Passport Essential SE
- Basically the same as the Essential, but with a larger storage capacity - it comes in 750 GB or 1 TB versions
WD My Passport Studio
- 500 GB or 1 TB
- USB 2.0 or Firewire
- Comes formatted right out of the box for a Mac
- Available in black or silver
- Full-metal (aluminum) case
- 2 FireWire ports
- Powered through the FireWire or USB port
- Password protection and hardware encryption
WD My Passport for Mac
- Made particularly for the MacBook or MacBook Air
- 500 GB, 750 GB, or 1 TB
- USB 2.0
- Comes formatted out of the box for a Mac
- Available in silver and black or charcoal
- Powered with the USB cable
- Password protection and hardware encryption
Data Transfer Speed
Here are some general guidelines for data transfer speed, although it’s important to remember that performance may vary depending on your particular hardware and operating software configuration:
- USB 2.0 = 480 MB/s (Max)
- USB 3.0 = 5 GB/s (Max)
- FireWire = 800 MB/s (Max)
Warranty
All Passport hard disks come with Western Digital’s standard 2-year limited warranty.
Operating Systems
Even though the various WD My Passport disks come formatted out of the box for either Mac or PC, all the hard drives can be reconfigured to work on the other operating system.
Older Models
Note that external hard disks are constantly improving with faster, higher capacity models coming out all the time. Older Passport models are still available online, but they are getting harder to find and most shops have limited stock.
Video
Here is a video you can watch on the Nomad Rugged Case for My Passport drives:
Final Word
Western Digital has a good reputation and is a popular choice for external hard disk storage.
If you’re looking for portability, these compact, light WD My Passport hard drives fit the bill.
