EXCLUSIVE BETA Shopper.com is new and improved! Please enjoy a sneak preview of the beta site!Please tell us what you think

Western Digital My Book Premium Edition 320GB External Hard Drive comparison

Remove from comparison Remove Remove Remove Remove Remove
Product name

Western Digital My Book Premium Edition 320GB External Hard Drive

Western Digital My Book Premium Edition 320GB External Hard Drive
Play CNET Video
Close

Western Digital My Passport Studio (320GB, Mac)

Western Digital My Passport Studio (320GB, Mac)
Play CNET Video
Close

Western Digital MyBook Premium Edition 500GB External Hard Drive

Western Digital MyBook Premium Edition 500GB External Hard Drive
Play CNET Video
Close

SimpleTech Signature Mini (320GB, red)

SimpleTech Signature Mini (320GB, red)
Play CNET Video
Close
Price $103 to $119 at 2 stores $79 at 1 store $130 to $318 at 24 stores $119 to $170 at 3 stores $114 to $165 at 18 stores
CNET editors' rating
3.5 stars Very good
Not yet rated
4.0 stars Excellent
3.5 stars Very good
4.0 stars Excellent
Average user rating 2.0 stars out of 7 reviews 3.0 stars out of 6 reviews 0 stars No reviews, write one! 2.0 stars out of 56 reviews 2.5 stars out of 4 reviews
Release date March 08, 2006 March 17, 2006 May 22, 2008 March 08, 2006 February 21, 2008
The Bottom Line If write speed isn't a top priority, the Western Digital MyBook is a good deal at around $300 for a 500GB drive. It'll look good on your desk or bookshelf, too. The Western Digital MyBook Essential Edition external hard drive is a slightly pared-down version of the MyBook Premium Edition. It's a good option if you need additional storage without backup software. Whether you use a Mac or a PC, the 320GB Western Digital My Passport Studio is the perfect compact external drive with a low cost per GB, a compact design, decent performance, and a surprisingly lengthy warranty. If write speed isn't a top priority, the Western Digital MyBook is a good deal at around $300 for a 500GB drive. It'll look good on your desk or bookshelf, too. The SimpleTech Signature Mini Black Cherry is a compact, USB-only external hard drive that will tempt you with its sleek design, and then win you over with its capacity, performance, and price.

Basic specs

Features See What's the Same or What's different
Spindle speed 7200 rpm
7200 rpm
Info unavailable 7200 rpm
5400 rpm
Average Latency 4.2 ms
4.2 ms
Info unavailable 4.2 ms
Info unavailable
Track-to-Track Seek Time 2 ms
2 ms
Info unavailable 2 ms
Info unavailable
Average seek time 8.9 ms
8.9 ms
Info unavailable 8.9 ms
Info unavailable
Hard drive size 320 GB
320 GB
320 GB
500 GB
320 GB
Weight 2.9 lbs
2.9 lbs
6.3 oz
2.9 lbs
Info unavailable
Device Type Hard drive
Hard drive
Hard drive
Hard drive
Hard drive
Form factor Info unavailable Info unavailable Info unavailable Info unavailable 2.5"
Interface type IEEE 1394 (FireWire) / Hi-Speed USB
Hi-Speed USB
IEEE 1394 (FireWire) / Hi-Speed USB
IEEE 1394 (FireWire) / Hi-Speed USB
Hi-Speed USB
OS Required Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
Microsoft Windows XP
Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition
Apple MacOS X 10.2.8 or later
Microsoft Windows 2000
Microsoft Windows Vista / 2000 / XP
Apple MacOS X 10.3 or later
Apple MacOS X 10.5.2 or later
Microsoft Windows Vista / 2000 / XP
Apple MacOS X 10.4.11 or later
Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
Microsoft Windows XP
Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition
Apple MacOS X 10.2.8 or later
Microsoft Windows 2000
Apple MacOS X
Microsoft Windows Vista / 2000 / XP
Apple MacOS X 10.3 or later
Manufacturer Warranty 1 year warranty
Info unavailable 5 years warranty