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• WD Passport Portable 320GB Hard Drive - Black

• Price Range

  $137.00 - $231.28
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• Overall Rating
  4 Star Review

  Reviewed by: sschimel

  Updated:03-07-08

  Duration of ownership:1 Days

  Strengths: It's quite small and very light, so it's very portable.

  Weaknesses: It doesn't come with any Vista-compatible software of any kind.

  Overall Evaluation: Well. I bought this today because I have some corrupted Vista files and have to do a system restore. I plugged it in and it was recognized immediately, but during the WD Sync installation, the software froze. I called Tech Support and they hade no idea why (because they assumed I had Windows XP, even though I said I had Vista). While on the phone with TEch Support, I looked on the WD website and found that their software is not compatible with Vista. There is no mention either on the inside or outside that you can't use WD Sync with Vista. However, Vista has a pretty good back program.

• Overall Rating
  4 Star Review

  Reviewed by: praetorian

  Updated:07-07-08

  Duration of ownership:5 Months

  Strengths: Nice small and light enclosure, largest capacity available (and should be for a while), good price/GB, 3-year warranty

  Weaknesses: Included cable is short, doesn't include protective case (sold separately), glossy finish shows fingerprints easily

  Overall Evaluation: The WD Passport is a very simple, minimalist external hard drive. Inside is a speedy Western Digital Scorpio drive which benchmark scores show very fast sequential read/write speeds--mostly needed when transferring large data files. Available in multiple sizes, 320GB is currently the largest 2.5" hard drive (what's inside the WD Passport, the same as in most laptops) and should be for a good while. Though there are larger capacity external hard drives with dsektop 3.5" drives (like the WD My Book for example), the Passport doesn't need an external power supply; power consumption is low enough that you need only one cable (standard mini-USB to USB). This makes it a lot more convenient and more portable.Overall, the WD Passport is very handy to have, whether for backups, video editing, or storing music and photos. It offers a lot more capacity than flash drives, and is faster for transferring large files. However keep in mind that it is much more fragile. Dropping the drive can lead to data loss, so having a protective case would really help if you tend to be a bit careless. Thankfully Western Digital makes a perfect fit neoprene case (that really should be included), but at least can be ordered directly from their website.Note: the Passport has been discontinued and replaced by the My Passport Essential. The enclosure has been changed slightly (more rounder and slightly larger) and is more readily available in different colors.

• Overall Rating
  4 Star Review

  Reviewed by: jayger

  Updated:04-30-08

  Duration of ownership:2 Days

  Strengths: Compact, sleek, ultra portable.

  Weaknesses: Small 2MB cache and 5400 RPM.

  Overall Evaluation: This is a very small, ultra portable external 2.5" drive with a huge 320GB capacity. It's powered via USB and comes with a USB cable. I almost wish it included a cloth since every smudge and fingerprint is left on the extremely shinny plastic case. If you search for "PHDC1" here on PriceGrabber.com you'll find the perfect case for this drive. I got my case in black and it's perfect to throw into my briefcase or backpack to have 320GB of storage mobility. WD is making these in multiple colors now, so basic black can be had for cheap! Shop around. Highly recommended portable drive.

• Overall Rating
  5 Star Review

  Reviewed by: foonie

  Updated:03-30-08

  Duration of ownership:

  Strengths: + Small form factor, large capacity, doesn't require external power

  Weaknesses: - Smooth black plastic case shows fingerprints, doesn't come with sleeve or carrying case

  Overall Evaluation: The WD Passport 320GB is currently your best option for 2.5" external hard drive if you are looking to maximize the amount of storage you carry with you. I use this drive to store all my music and movies, so as not to fill up my smaller internal hard drive on my MacBook. I love it. No real complaints thus far.

• Overall Rating
  5 Star Review

  Reviewed by: dandiaz24

  Updated:03-27-08

  Duration of ownership:5 Weeks

  Strengths: Lots of space in a small package. Usb powered. Lightweight.

  Weaknesses: It's not 7200rpm.

  Overall Evaluation: The internal drive within the case is a sata drive which makes a good replacement for the newer laptops with internal sata drives. It's great as a backup drive also.

• Overall Rating
  4 Star Review

  Reviewed by: jdm5290

  Updated:03-02-08

  Duration of ownership:1 Days

  Strengths: Small, Quiet, Clean Looking, Fairly Durable and Reliable.

  Weaknesses: Somewhat slow data transfer rate and WD could put more storage space in the Passports.

  Overall Evaluation: It works great if you have photos, videos, or any other data that either needs to be backed up or put on additional space. The Passport is extremely portable and fits in my pocket. It is a great product. I have a 250 and a 320 and am happy with both. I just with my 320 was shipped with a nice neoprene carrying case like my 250. With my experience and knowledge, the WD Passports are very reliable as well.

• Overall Rating
  2 Star Review

  Reviewed by: oceania_harbor

  Updated:02-29-08

  Duration of ownership:1 Months

  Strengths: nice looking, big space

  Weaknesses: My laptops do not recognize it, until I buy an additional Power Booster Cable from WD website store.

  Overall Evaluation: My two laptops do not recognize it, only works well with my desktops. First I thought this is the problem with the vista system on my laptop, tried to find a driver for it but nothing listed on the WD website. After wasting a lot of time I realized that this is the power issue, and had to buy an additional Power Booster Cable (WDCA029RNN) to power up the drive. Too bad they don't suggest you at the time when you buy the hard drive. After spent $17 and wait a week, I finally got the cable then it can work with my laptop.

• Overall Rating
  4 Star Review

  Reviewed by: taumax

  Updated:02-25-08

  Duration of ownership:

  Strengths: 320GB USB powered. Quiet, attractive case.

  Weaknesses: Minor: Mini-USB connector is kind of loose, case is easy to scratch. No protective carrying case included.

  Overall Evaluation: The mini-USB connector is allowed to jiggle sideways. Not a solid connection like my other devices that use the mini USB connector. I noticed this because on my digi-cam and PSP the connector mates solidly.Overall, a solid value. I would purchase this device again.

• Overall Rating
  4 Star Review

  Reviewed by: souman

  Updated:02-21-08

  Duration of ownership:

  Strengths: Light weight, 320 GB space

  Weaknesses: Plastic body

  Overall Evaluation: I bought this drive to replace the hard-drive on my macbook. Surprisingly the same drive that Western Digital sells as internal drive is costlier than the external drive. Hard drive runs smooth and it's quiet. I am happy with the purchase. I put the 120 GB Macbook hard drive back into the WD enclosure. The only issue I have with this is the plastic body. It's shiny and prone to scratches easily.

• Overall Rating
  5 Star Review

  Reviewed by: eDeals123

  Updated:02-04-08

  Duration of ownership:8 Days

  Strengths: Largest capacity available to date in portable 2.5" external drive.

  Weaknesses: USB cable provided is a little short for desktop users. Hard drive has to be reformatted from FAT32 to NTFS for files larger than 4GB. You gain slightly more storage through NTFS.

  Overall Evaluation: You plug this external drive into a PC's or Mac's USB 2.0 port and instantly gain 320 GB of storage. No external power adapter is used. This drive is good to back up your PC's or laptop's internal hard drive. Price per GB is high for this 2.5" drive compared to 3.5" external hard drives. The lowest price I've seen so far is $150 for this WD drive. This drive's speed is adequate.

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WD Passport Portable 320GB Hard Drive - Black

$137.00(3 sellers) • Avg User Rating •Specs