Western Digital Passport USB Portable Hard Drive (160GB, black)
Manufacturer: Western Digital Corp. Part number: WDXMS1600TN
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- Product brief
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Western Digital's Passport Portable External Hard Drive lets you take a lot of data on the road for a low price.
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CNET editors' review
Western Digital Passport USB Portable Hard Drive (160GB, black)
price range: $199.99
Western Digital's Passport Portable External Hard Drive lets you take a lot of data on the road for a low price.
The good: Compact; bus-powered; quick at reading and writing; includes sync and encryption software; comes with a zippered, hard carrying case.
The bad: Sync software works with only Windows XP and 2000; phone support may eventually become expensive.
The bottom line: Western Digital's Passport Portable External Hard Drive lets you take a lot of data on the road for a low price.
Product brief
Intro: This Western Digital Passport USB Portable Hard Drive is a 160GB, external hard disk drive.Compared to other external hard drives on the market, it is relatively inexpensive at around $135.This is a 5400 rpm drive and has a 2MB cache.
Noteworthy Features: Has a 160GB capacity, which is larger than some similarly priced hard drives.In fact, the average cost of a product with this large a capacity is $230.
Weaker Features: None noted, given available product data.
Suitability: An external hard drive, suited for convenient plug-and-play with most desktop or notebook computers.
Value: Overall, this hard drive's features are as expected for this price.
Suggestions: (1) Replacement notebook drives may be designed for specific models, so be sure to check with your laptop manufacturer to determine which drives are compatible.(2) You may want to consider an external drive/backup solution, rather than replacing the internal one.
User reviews
- Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 33 reviews
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Does not work with most laptops
by emanonco on November 13, 2006
Pros: Stylish, Large capacity, good brand
Cons: most computers will not power the device, as stated in the box. Must buy extra power supply cord, making the "portability" pointless.
Summary: After purchasing the HD, I plugged it in and to my supprise it was not working. After some research on WD's website I quickly found out that most laptops ...
Summary: After purchasing the HD, I plugged it in and to my supprise it was not working. After some research on WD's website I quickly found out that most laptops will not power up this hardrive, as it draws more power than USB drives are allowed to supply in specs. They stated you need to buy a power source from thier website. This compltetly took the portability away from this drive. Super bummer. Thank god I was able to return it. I ended up getting the LaCie 160GB with USB 2.0 and firewaire. Started up, no problem! My computer is a Powerbook G4 for your reference.
20 out of 20 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Doesn't work in front USB ports, doesn't work in laptops, very short cord
by frndlyjen on February 21, 2007
Pros: small, seems very portable, sleek
Cons: usb cord is ridiculously short, doesn't work with laptops, front USBs
Summary: This thing would be awesome if it worked - it's nice and small and sleek, comes with a handy zip-up carrying case, very lightweight, and fits 160 GB! Supposedly....
Summary: This thing would be awesome if it worked - it's nice and small and sleek, comes with a handy zip-up carrying case, very lightweight, and fits 160 GB! Supposedly.
It seemed ok in the beginning - installed itself quickly and easily, and started humming along as I moved my 120 GB of music from my brand new XP desktop to the drive. But when I checked on it an hour later, there was an error, saying the drive was not recognized. I tried different USB ports, which would work for a few seconds, and then again, the drive wouldn't be recognized.
I tested my USB ports with other devices - all were fine. When I called WDC Customer Support, they told me the drive does not work with front USB ports (not close enough to the motherboard), but the cord is too short to use it effectively on the back ports. I tried it anyway - doesn't work. There are no drivers to download, no fixes, it's just a bad drive. Apparently this is a common issue.
And by the way, to concur with the other review - I tried it on my laptop as well, and it does not work there. WD customer support confirmed that these drives do not work well with laptops. It'd be nice if they put that on the packaging so that the consumer would know that BEFORE purchasing. Just a word to the wise.7 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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overall good to back up single computer
by umber76 on December 14, 2006
Pros: easy to use, light, pocket-sized version of your computer
Cons: not ideal to back up multiple computers, need to request special cable from WD for laptops
Summary: I agree with the previous user that this cannot be used out of the box with most laptops since it draws too much power to be plugged into a single ...
Summary: I agree with the previous user that this cannot be used out of the box with most laptops since it draws too much power to be plugged into a single USB port. BUT, Western Digital supplied me a replacement cable free of charge that plugged into both USB ports. That fixed the problem. It did mean that it took over a week receive the dual USB cable. And I was frustrated until I figured ou the problem (they do mention it in their manual). Western Digital provides one month of free tech support to help you with any initial problems setting up the drive.
It is a very quick and smart drive that "syncs" with your computer similar to a lot of handhelds/PDAs out there. This is good and bad:
The good thing is that, after the initial set up (where you specify which files/drives/programs from your computer you want synced on a regular basis), you just hit "sync" and within 5 minutes, your entire drive is backed up. It lets you tell it if you want to back up the email program of your choice (Outlook/Outlook Express/etc) and if you want it to automatically sync each time. You can also plug it into any computer and essentially turn that computer into your own computer (since it is a copy of your hard drive). You can also easily copy files from the drive to a new computer. It is very light and portable -- similar to any handheld.
The bad thing is that to copy files FROM a NEW computer TO the drive, you have to go through the set up again, which erases whatever you have on the drive. That means, you first have to copy the saved files to the new computer, reformat drive, then sync with the new computer. In that way, it is not ideal for saving information from multiple computers onto this drive. Since it "syncs", if you erase something from your computer, it will also erase it from the drive -- that means you can't use it to store more than what you can already store on your computer. Also, if you use it with a laptop, it will take up both of your USB ports (because of the power issue).
Overall, I think it is a good drive if you are backing up a single computer and if you want a more portable form of your computer's hard drive that will fit into your pocket.6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Device, Extremely Convenient
by ctime on April 1, 2007
Pros: Portable USB 2.0 Hi Speed Backup
Cons: Too bad transfers can't be instant! ; )
Summary: I purchased this new off eBay and am very pleased.
I Plugged it into laptop USB port, Ran Sync, Configured import folders, Synched my files, Everything Backed Up. No problems. ...Summary: I purchased this new off eBay and am very pleased.
I Plugged it into laptop USB port, Ran Sync, Configured import folders, Synched my files, Everything Backed Up. No problems.
You can also just drag and drop, thus bypassing the sync option. But doing this requires manual searching, copying etc. over and over.
As a test, I ran sync a second time and it just breezed right through knowing everything that there was to copy had been already and took only a few seconds to recognize this fact and stop. In settings option make sure you choose to copy all file extensions.
When copying back to PC software lets you choose what folder to copy to but copies individual folders with all their files rather than individual files. For this reason I rate as 9 out of 10. But no big deal I guess.
BTW - USB powered only. Now other cords or power source required for me, unlike other reviewers.
All in all a great device for back up peace of mind!Updated
Also can't copy folders directly from Desktop when using Synch. So if you want the sync 128 bit encryption protection, drag any files/ folders on Desktop into your C;/ somewhere. Otherwise drag and drop onto the passport.
Forgot to mention that all files using sync function get encrypted in case of loss with very easy configuration settings, i.e. password, reset, delete all data, lost and found info.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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More convenient than my laptop
by Vijames007 on April 15, 2007
Pros: Good size storage, compact design, USB powered
Cons: Wish it was bigger with a little longer cord
Summary: I debated about getting this drive based on all the negative reviews I had read. Out of necessity and wanting convenience, I bought it. I got it at Costco for $...
Summary: I debated about getting this drive based on all the negative reviews I had read. Out of necessity and wanting convenience, I bought it. I got it at Costco for $119. I figured since Costco has a 2 year warranty with all computers and peripherals, why not. They seem to have a great return policy. I have had this drive for 2 weeks now. I love it. It works great. No hang up or power issues like all the other reviews. I wanted to use it the same way I would my thumb drive. I didn?t install the hardware because I didn?t want to backup everything, just the most important stuff.
XP recognized it right away. Also I was transferring info from my old laptop with XP to my new laptop with Vista on it. I was worried Vista wouldn?t recognize it, based on all the reviews I read. To my delight and surprise it worked without a problem. I have to say it has been great addition. What is even better now is I don?t have to carry around my laptop everywhere I go. I can install a program to this little guy and work off of it anywhere. As long as I have this drive with all my stuff on it I can use it anywhere. So against all negative reviews, I would say I am very happy with it.2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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If you get the correct cable, it'll work...
by Jed_07 on April 23, 2008
Pros: awesome performance, very fast, small and very light
Cons: none honestly
Summary: All the reviews I've seen about this product is, "...it doesn't work with laptops....sucks with laptops..."
Well, that's probably because all of those people didn't ...Summary: All the reviews I've seen about this product is, "...it doesn't work with laptops....sucks with laptops..."
Well, that's probably because all of those people didn't get the correct cable. You HAVE to buy the add-on "Y" USB cable for this hard drive to work properly with a laptop. Just using the small single USB does NOT receive enough power supply, and have enough flow to function quickly and properly.
If you get the Y USB cable, you have the separate "Power" USB just to turn on the hard drive itself, then you have the normal USB 2.0 which actually 'connects' the hard drive to the computer.
Aside from that, this hard drive is absolutely amazing (assuming you have the Y cable). I actually have the 250GB Passport, and it's amazing. I use it with Windows Vista Ultimate on my laptop. It's only slightly larger than my SLVR cell phone, and weighs the exact same as my SLVR. It's very fast transferring data on and off of the computer.
So, if you guys just spend an extra 15 bucks and get the Y USB Power cable, this thing works perfectly.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Absolutely Hate It!
by photoshopheart on April 6, 2008
Pros: Stylish, light weight and good price.
Cons: Cord is too short and takes to long to transfer.
Summary: Unlike a lot of previous reviewers i had no problem with my laptop powering the hard disk however i couldn't get it to sync right with any of my ...
Summary: Unlike a lot of previous reviewers i had no problem with my laptop powering the hard disk however i couldn't get it to sync right with any of my files. I ended up resetting everything 3 times before i finally could get it to work. It's not very user friendly especially for people like me who aren't as tech savvy. Would not recommend this even for the price. It is only good for backing up a computer but not actually useful as just a portable hard drive! If you don't like syncing (like ipod or handheld) then this is not the right one for you. The only good things i could say is that it is very light and that it looks pretty stylish but apart from that RUN AWAY!
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Very Disappointing
by geekguy1 on January 7, 2008
Pros: small size, USB backup, no power cord needed
Cons: useless USB cable provided, no backup software, poor Synch software, no response from Customer Support
Summary: Given the problems I had with this unit (see below), I could not test it as thoroughly as I would have liked, but the hardware seems fine. Nothing else about ...
Summary: Given the problems I had with this unit (see below), I could not test it as thoroughly as I would have liked, but the hardware seems fine. Nothing else about this unit is acceptable, including:
- A completely inadequate 8" USB cable (the documentation on the drive claims 22").
- Inadequate power possible without a Y cable, not supplied.
- The zippered hard carrying case mentioned in cnet's review appears to have become a victim of cost cutting.
- WD's idea of "Auto Synch" is not what I would expect, namely that when I change a file it is automatically changed (synched) on the Passport. Nope: to them, it means that when you start the Synch/Restore program, it will at that time scan all your files and synch them, no extra click needed.
- WD's synch facility does not let you restore single files.
- The Passport does not come with backup software (why else did I buy this thing), but gives suggestions about where such programs can be bought. Gee, thanks.
- Customer Support does not respond. They state their goal is to answer emails within 1 day, but it could be 3 when busy. I'm now 6 business days with no response.
- The documentation that comes on the unit makes it appear that you should (must?) shut down and disconnect the unit whenever the computer is shut down. If true (no answer from them on this yet), that's a real inconvenience, one not shared by my son's Seagate Freeagent Go, which is what I think I'm going to buy.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Very Good portable drive. No prob on my laptop
by ocboi on November 15, 2007
Pros: Sleek, very portable, quiet.
Cons: Subpar backup SW
Summary: I have two units which I purchased over 2 years ago. I have used them connected to several different computers. The only instances of non recognition were solved by swapping ...
Summary: I have two units which I purchased over 2 years ago. I have used them connected to several different computers. The only instances of non recognition were solved by swapping out the usb or using the ac power supply when the 1.1 usb port was not adequate to power. Hope that helps other people having issues. The only issue I have is the subpar backup/sync software
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Cute but fatally flawed
by BiOSal on October 1, 2007
Pros: Size and design are hot
Cons: Fails when powered from laptop USB bus; comes formatted as FAT 32 and must be reformatted for most backups
Summary: Manufacturers should be more honest that this is something many laptop users will buy and out the box it can't be powered by many laptops. I spent hours thinking ...
Summary: Manufacturers should be more honest that this is something many laptop users will buy and out the box it can't be powered by many laptops. I spent hours thinking my data was corrupt before reading the other reviews here. Sigh!!
Updated
As of October 1, 2007, Western Digital is shipping a free Y booster cable to customers whose USB ports won't power the drive. They promised 1-2 day delivery. The tech I got couldn't say, though, if running the drive from a powered USB hub would also solve the problem.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Western Digital Corp.
- Part number: WDXMS1600TN
General
- Device Type Hard drive - External hard drive
- Width 3.1 in
- Depth 5.1 in
- Height 0.6 in
- Weight 3.7 oz
- Enclosure Color Glossy black
Hard Drive
- Form Factor 2.5"
- Capacity 160 GB
- Interface type Hi-Speed USB
- Spindle speed 5400 rpm
- Buffer size 2 MB
- Features Data Lifeguard, Fluid Dynamic Bearing (FDB) motor
Performance
- Storage Hard Drive / External Data Transfer Rate (For External Drive) 480 Mbps
- Seek Time 12 ms (average)
- Track-to-Track Seek Time 2 ms
- Average Latency 5.5 ms
Expansion / Connectivity
- Interfaces 1 x Hi-Speed USB - Mini-USB Type B
- Compatible Bays None
- Compatible Slots x None
Miscellaneous
- Cables Included 1 x USB cable - 1.8 ft
- Miscellaneous compliant standards RoHS
Power
- External Hard Drive Power Source USB bus
System Requirements
- OS Required Microsoft Windows XP, Apple MacOS X 10.1.5 or later, Microsoft Windows 2000
Software / System Requirements
- Software type Google Software Pack
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & support type 3 years warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 3 years
Environmental Parameters
- Min operating temperature 41 ?F
- Max operating temperature 104 ?F
Manufacturer info
- Western Digital Corp.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Western Digital Corp. products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.wdc.com/
- Address:
20511 Lake Forest Drive, Lake Forest, CA 92630-7741
