Western Digital My Passport Essential SE 1 TB USB 3.0/2.0 Ultra Portable External Hard Drive Review

A Review Of The Western Digital My Passport Essential SE 1 TB USB 3.0/2.0 Ultra Portable External Hard Drive

Introduction

Western Digital has been creating electronic backup and storage solutions for their customers for over 20 years. It is an industry leader and the maker of some of the world's best selling hard drives. Their products and potential has steadily improved and increased as new technology became available. This is never more evident than with the Western Digital My Passport Essential SE 1 TB USB 3.0/2.0 Ultra Portable External Hard Drive.

Product Description

Small enough to fit in your pocket and sleek enough to have on permanent display in your home or office, the Western Digital My Passport Essential is a winner with consumers and industry watchers. Not only does it pack a whopping 1 TB of storage but it is seemingly 'future proof' boasting both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 capabilities. For those who won't utilize the USB 3.0 port just yet, it is reassuring to know you have that capability with this device for the future. Use the Western Digital My Passport Essential for automatic continuous backup with easy to use software which you can tailor to suit your needs, or simply use it as an external storage device for your electronic files.

Key Specifications

• List Price: $129.99

• Released: October 2010

• Capacity:1 TB

• Interface: USB 3.0, USB 2.0

• Warranty: 2 years limited warranty

• Dimensions: 4.3 by 3.3 by 0.7 inches

Key Features

• Hardware encryption and password protection.

• Up to 3 times faster transfer rates with USB 3.0.

• Use USB 2.0 for now and USB 3.0 when you are ready.

• Quiet automatic and continuous backup.

• Huge 1 TB of storage for all your photos, movies, music and important files.

• 2 years warranty instead of the standard 1 year.

• Small, stylish and extremely portable.

• Does not need separate power supply. It can be powered directly from your PC via USB port.

• Strong and durable casing made using recycled materials.

Pros

• With USB 2.0 you will be able to connect and use right away with standard transfer rates. Yet when the Western Digital My Passport Essential is connected to a USB 3.0 port you'll be able to experience transfer rates up to 3 times faster than with the USB 2.0 connection. For example you could transfer a high definition movie in as little as 5 minutes, instead of around 13+ minutes. Do note that transfer rates and performance are also determined by your hardware and configuration.

• Users report that the Western Digital My Passport Essential works super quietly in the background, so much so they don't even notice it is there. It can be set to automatically update so any file that is added or changed will be backed up instantly. This gives great peace of mind so you'll never have to worry about losing that important document, photo or video again.

• If you are looking for an external storage device, there is none better than the Western Digital My Passport Essential. With 1 TB of storage space, you can store seemingly endless amounts of family photos, videos, movies and electronic files.

• Everything stored or backed up on the Western Digital My Passport Essential is extremely safe and secure with both password protection and hardware encryption.

• With all your files stored securely within a stylish and durable device it is more portable than many of its competitors. Take it with you to share photos and videos with friends or for that important presentation at the office.

Cons

• The glossy exterior of the Western Digital My Passport Essential is somewhat susceptible to scratching. Perhaps a matte finish may have combated this problem. However affordable and stylish cases are available, so that should be of some help.

• Mac users have had mixed reports and many suggest it is not compatible as they have experienced formatting issues.

• The attached software offers the option to run automatically in the background. While this suits most people, some believe that it simply takes up too much of your system's resources and can make overall running of your processor a lot slower. The software does allow for manual updates only but that is more labor intensive.

• Users have reported that when the drive enters sleep mode at night it does not action nightly backups. The drive will do its duty when you are using your computer but you may encounter this same problem if you choose to backup your files overnight.

Should You Buy The Western Digital My Passport Essential SE 1 TB USB 3.0/2.0 Ultra Portable External Hard Drive?

Overall this is an impressive external hard drive that would serve a great purpose in any home or office. If you are looking for exceptional storage space on a future proof device then this is a great choice. You will find it easy to use and extremely handy because of its portability. If you are looking for an automatic backup system, read reviews from current users who have the same operating system as you to avoid disappointment.

When used as it should be, the Western Digital My Passport Essential SE 1 TB USB 3.0/2.0 Ultra Portable External Hard Drive is hard to beat and even comes with an affordable price tag.

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