ra64's Full Review: Western Digital WDXMS1200TN 120 GB USB 2.0 Hard Dr...
Update: I've had this hard drive 1 year and no failure yet. I've kept it on 24/7 a lot of the time.
When the 60 gig hard drive on my desktop computer started filling up, I began looking for an external hard drive that I could store my audio, video and image files on. While initially I planned on getting a full size drive, I found a seemingly good deal on the compact Western Digital Passport 120GB drive in December 2006 for eighty bucks, and went for it. The drive has given me no problems in about a month of use.
The Passport is really about the size of a passport: five inches long, three inches wide and half an inch tall. If I wanted to, I could slip it into my pocket without much discomfort.
The drive, wrapped in a shinny black plastic definitely sports a sleek, modern look. However, one problem is the plastic scratches very easily. I’ve put it in my backpack pocket with pens and a few other things and I can now see dozens of slight scratches.
One thing I really like about the Passport is that the drive runs off power from the USB connection to the computer, eliminating an extra power cord. This makes the drive much more portable, and helps with the maze of wires at my desk as well. However, there is a separate USB wire provided; an integrated connection would be nice. One thing I don’t like is there is no power button on the device, merely a blue light that looks like a power button. The drive keeps spinning even when it’s idle, so the only way to stop it is to unplug the USB.
Transfer performance is inconsistent, but averages around 100Mbps for both reading and writing. I’ve transferred a variety of data, ranging from 2GB video files, 5MB audio files, and word and text documents smaller then 1MB, with similar performance. This means a 40-minute video file in common compression (350MB) will probably take about 30 seconds to transfer. Access has also been very fast; starting to play a video stored on the Passport doesn’t seem to take any longer then starting one on my primary drive. However, I haven’t filled up more then half the disk yet and the disk isn’t very fragmented yet. The drive spins at 5400RPM, which is typical of compact hard drives.
The Passport comes formatted in FAT32, an older file system more efficient for smaller drives, but I easily changed to NTSF using a built in windows utility. NTSF is supposedly more secure, and allows for reading and writing larger files (over 4 gigabytes).
I’ve been very gentle with the drive. I haven’t dropped it, and it seems way too risky to test that. I’ve tapped it a few times and the drive hasn’t hiccupped. There is no rubber on the sides to absorb impact though. There are four rubber points on the bottom that make setting the drive down smoother and prevent it from sliding around.
The drive has been very quiet. I can’t hear it over my computer fan; I can only hear the disk spinning if I put my ear up to it. The drive does make a clicking noise sometimes, which doesn’t seem out of the ordinary.
There is absolutely no ventilation in the design, which was worrisome to me at first. However, I haven’t noticed the drive getting unreasonably warm, or even producing much heat at all, even after playing videos off the drive for hours.
The drive is plug and play with Windows XP machines, connecting using USB 2.0. I’ve had no problems with computers detecting the drive. I’ve used it on my personal computer and a few computers in a public lab.
Western digital offers the Passport drives in a variety of sizes including 80GB and 160GB models and several casing styles, including back and silver.
Overall, there’s not too much for me to complain about. For eighty bucks, this thing has definitely been worth the investment.
WD Sync synchronization and encryption software lets you save your critical data, and take it with you. Plug your drive into any PC, edit files, read ...More at eBay
External Hard Drive For Pc Or Mac; 120gb Hard Drive Capacity. 5400 Rpm Spindle. Supports Up To 480 Mbps Data Transfer Rate. Great For Instant Storage....More at Target
120 GB USB 2.0 2.5-inch external hard drive ideal storage solution for Mac or PC USB connection; requires no external power source;128-bit encryption ...More at Amazon Marketplace
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2010 Shopping.com, Inc.