Western Digital 500GB My Passport Essential Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black)
- No Longer Available
The 500GB My Passport Essential Portable USB Hard Drive from Western Digital is a portable hard drive in a durable housing, great for use with laptop computers. The drive features an interface that allows it to be connected and powered by USB 2.0, a rotation speed of 5400rpm, a 2MB data buffer and bus transfer rates of up to 60MB/sec. The drive is an excellent storage solution for users who are on the move.
- Passport drives are available in many eye-catching colors, allowing you to easily distinguish between your drives on sight
- Includes software for Windows to sync data between multiple computers, as well as 128-bit encryption software to protect your data
- Bus-powered USB 2.0 interface
- Compatible with Windows and Mac systems
- 500GB holds 37.5 hours of DV video, 125,000 MP3 songs, or 106 DVD movies
Go To
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 500GB |
| Interface | 1x USB 2.0 (Mini-B) |
| Drive Speed | 5400rpm |
| Buffer | 2MB |
| Average Seek Time | 12ms |
| Sustained Data Transfer Rate | Not Specified by Manufacturer |
| System Requirements |
Windows XP, Vista, 7; Mac OS X Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard USB port |
| General | |
|---|---|
| Mounting | Portable |
| Power Requirements | Bus-powered |
| Environmental Requirements |
Operating Temperature: 41-104°F (5-40°C) Storage Temperature: -4-149°F (-20-65°C) |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 3.1 x 0.6 x 5" (8 x 1.5 x 13cm) |
| Weight | 0.23 lb (0.1kg) |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 35 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
100%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Quiet (28)
- Easy to use (23)
- Large capacity / good size (21)
- Easy to setup (19)
- Attractive (18)
Cons
- Slow (4)
Best Uses
- Back-up (26)
- Additional storage (19)
- File transfer (15)
- Photo storage (13)
- Video (10)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Power user (17), Casual user (10), Heavy duty user (5)
- Primary use:
- Personal (28), Business (7)
Most Liked Positive Review
Very practical tool
I'm running Windows XP on a laptop with a 100 GB hard drive. I shoot photos in RAW format and they take 15 MB each so my hard drive had filled up completely. I ...Read complete review
I'm running Windows XP on a laptop with a 100 GB hard drive. I shoot photos in RAW format and they take 15 MB each so my hard drive had filled up completely. I have had a 250 GB Western Digital powered external hard drive for three years now, and have been impressed by its performance, so I trusted the brand. The 500GB My Passport Essential was the perfect answer. It is compact, with a sleek solid design and a short USB cable (about 16"/40 cm). The short cable is a plus, as I don't want half a ton of spaghetti on my desk. As for functionality, I just plugged it into a USB port and 10 seconds later it was installed and working. There is no need to use any of the optional software included (I've not tried it). I had the same fast results from two other computers of friends. Editing photos directly from this external drive works perfectly. Downloading from camera memory cards to the drive, via my laptop, works perfectly and is not significantly slower than downloading straight to the laptop's hard drive. It runs silently (at least I cannot hear anything). I cannot honestly think of any negative aspects. Well, I guess it speeds up battery usage, but I don't use it when my laptop is running off the battery.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Fast Reliable Service
Own several HDs - portable and otherwise. Bought this one is large and fast enough to act as a 3rd backup for my portfolio of images.
Own several HDs - portable and otherwise. Bought this one is large and fast enough to act as a 3rd backup for my portfolio of images.
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 35 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-20
Previous | Next »
Pros
- Compact
- Easy to use
- Quiet
Cons
- FAT32 format
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
- File Transfer
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport Essential Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
It is a great product. Irreplaceable when you need compact high capacity external drive which don't need external power and has enough speed via USB 2. It can work properly with long (I use 6 feet) USB cable if compare with other similar devices.
I was needed to reformat it to NTFS only.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Compact
- Easy To Setup
Cons
Best Uses
- Backup
- File Transfer
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport Essential Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
Plug and play
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Easy to use
Cons
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport Essential Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
I got it to back up all my Data like Files and Photos.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Portable
- Quiet
Cons
Best Uses
- Backup
- Photo Storage
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport Essential Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
This little divice is a perfect size to store all my photos. Stationed here in Afghanistan, there's not much room for large starage devices. This is a perfect size! I'll buy more.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Compact
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Quiet
Cons
- Slow
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
- File Transfer
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport Essential Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
It is an amazing HD and it's very simple and portable.
Problem is that it comes in fat-32 which can't take files larger tham 2 gb and makes it super slow. Since nowadays data traffic comes in GB and TB, they should have ship those amazing guys with NTFS file system which can be read by Macs and Pcs.
by the way, as soon as it is in ntfs, its great when it comes to speed.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Attractive Design
Cons
- None
Best Uses
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport Essential Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
works great. our unit really needed them. and very small and portable. thanks.
- Primary use:
- Business
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Easy To Setup
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Portable
- Quiet
Cons
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
- File Transfer
- Photo Storage
- Video
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport Essential Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
Great product. Portable. Small. Slim. Light Weight. 500 GB of information into pocketsized hard drive is a very good deal for the price given.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Compact
- Easy To Setup
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Quiet
Cons
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
- File Transfer
- Photo Storage
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport Essential Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
I'm running Windows XP on a laptop with a 100 GB hard drive. I shoot photos in RAW format and they take 15 MB each so my hard drive had filled up completely. I have had a 250 GB Western Digital powered external hard drive for three years now, and have been impressed by its performance, so I trusted the brand. The 500GB My Passport Essential was the perfect answer. It is compact, with a sleek solid design and a short USB cable (about 16"/40 cm). The short cable is a plus, as I don't want half a ton of spaghetti on my desk. As for functionality, I just plugged it into a USB port and 10 seconds later it was installed and working. There is no need to use any of the optional software included (I've not tried it). I had the same fast results from two other computers of friends. Editing photos directly from this external drive works perfectly. Downloading from camera memory cards to the drive, via my laptop, works perfectly and is not significantly slower than downloading straight to the laptop's hard drive. It runs silently (at least I cannot hear anything). I cannot honestly think of any negative aspects. Well, I guess it speeds up battery usage, but I don't use it when my laptop is running off the battery.
- Primary use:
- Business
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Easy To Setup
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Portable
- Quiet
Cons
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
- File Transfer
- Photo Storage
- Video
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport Essential Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
I m using portable disks since almost 9 years and I am really addicted to the style that is offered by WD. And also the reliability and design as a whole! I do strongly recommend to anyone who is in doubt which harddisk to choose. Choose WD!
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Compact
- Easy To Setup
- Easy to use
- Small and light
Cons
- USB socket not very solid
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport Essential Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
WD Passport is definitely a good choice as a backup storage for your pictures, music, movies and any other data. It's small and very light which makes it perfect if you want to share large amount of data with your friends. The only poor thing about it is the USB socket that does not look very durable (it gets slacked after plugging and unplugging the cable several times).
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Compact
- Easy To Setup
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Quiet
Cons
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
- File Transfer
- Photo Storage
- Video
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport Essential Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
It's so Beautifull, thin, light and powerfull. I love this product, I bought 6 units for me.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Compact
- Easy To Setup
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Quiet
Cons
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
- File Transfer
- Photo Storage
- Video
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport Essential Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
Great backup device. Good for storing music, video and pictures off your hard drive.
- Primary use:
- Business
Pros
- Easy To Setup
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Portable
- Quiet
Cons
- Slow
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport Essential Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
I like WD products. This one is portable and easy to use and can be used with out any additional power source. I have to try whether this will work with my sony audio player in the car which has usb card reader. If it is done i can store 500 Gb of songs. I think i can roam from south to north in US to finish all the songs.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Compact
- Easy To Setup
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Quiet
Cons
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
- File Transfer
- Photo Storage
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport Essential Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
I am using the product on loation in Italy, taking thousands of shots downloaded from flash card to computer, to ext, passport hard drive. I have taken 3 passports with me on this trip, will be visiting 8 cities in Italy and I expect they will be chock full by the time I get back to the States. Thus far you passport has been my passport to a perfectly wonderful visual assignment. Thank you B & H, thank you Passport!
- Primary use:
- Business
Pros
- Compact
- Easy to use
- Quiet
Cons
- Slow
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport Essential Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
I use this to store my entire music collection and then use it in my car with a USB connection. It works flawlessly if a little slow, but I have concluded that this is the software in my car and the number of directories it has to index (over 300 Gb). I would definitely recommedn this drive.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Easy To Setup
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Portable
- Quiet
Cons
- So far I've found no con
Best Uses
- Backup
- File Transfer
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport Essential Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
I use the Passport Essential Portable Hard Drive to back up my photos. It's quick and easy to use. Completely plug and play, no set up required and my computer recognized it immediately. Files actually download faster to the Passport that they do to my Lenovo T60 laptop.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Easy To Setup
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Portable
- Quiet
Cons
- None
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
- File Transfer
- Photo Storage
- Video
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport Essential Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
I use a pair for main and backup of image files while traveling. Great compactness and without all the cables and cords.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Compact
- Easy To Setup
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Quiet
Cons
Best Uses
- Backup
- Photo Storage
- Video
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport Essential Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
Pros: Cute, quiet, very portable, large capacity drive. USB power eliminates need for extra cables. USB 2.0 is fast enough for doing backups.
Cons: None so far.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Easy To Setup
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Portable
- Quiet
Cons
- Slow
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
- Photo Storage
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport Essential Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
I bought the WD 500GB HD after resisting to spend almost $150 on a Hard disk. B & H then finally came up with a great price,s o I'd to give in.[...]As for the disk: it does its job. Thats all i can say. Its 5400 rpm leaves room for more speed. i'd to back up like 80 Gigs of data, because of which i actually bought it and it took me quite a while to copy it, to be precise about 5 hrs. thats kinda loooong, isnt it.Earlier I thought it was my USB port that was creating the problem but it behaved the same on other computers as well. It could be faster. i dont think 5400 rpm drives are this slow. Other than that, i like it and doesnt make any noise or hardly any vibration at all.Its small and sleek and a finger print magnet. i dont care though, it lives in my laptop bag and comes out only for backup.Like I said: Worth the price, but could be better.other drives that I've tested arent that great either.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Compact
- Easy To Setup
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Quiet
Cons
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
- File Transfer
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport Essential Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
Great gear for back up. It's great having my files anywhere I may need. All those important documents are always with me.
- Primary use:
- Business
Displaying reviews 1-20
Previous | Next »
Hard Drive Sleeves & Cases
- Price: $9.95
- GBP 6.29
Hubs & Adapters
- Price: $12.89
- GBP 8.15
USB Device
- Price: $28.00
- GBP 17.70
What's in the Box
- USB 2.0 Cable
- Quick Install Guide
- 3-Year Limited Warranty
Why Shop at B&H
Make your online shopping trip personal with our online Live Chat representatives. You can easily reach an in-house expert while browsing our site for your shopping needs. We have the most highly-trained staff in the industry who are pros in their fields, and their professional expertise will help you get the most from your purchase.
Place your domestic order with us for shipment via UPS, FedEx Economy, or FedEx Priority by 4 PM ET Monday through Thursday or 11 AM ET Friday and your order will be shipped that day. Visit our Shipping Delivery Times page for further details. Delivery times are subject to payment verification.
We appreciate your purchase from us, and we understand that sometimes the products you buy don’t turn out to be the right choice for you. We guarantee your peace of mind with our 30-day return policy. With no standard restocking fee and few restrictions, you’ll enjoy a return process as easy as shopping with us. Please visit our Return Policy page for further details.
We’ve made iPhone and Android mobile apps available for your service and shopping convenience. Use filtered search to find and purchase almost any item we sell and ship worldwide. Download product manuals and guides for many popular items. See high-resolution product images in close-up detail. Manage wishlists and view order history. Visit our Mobile Apps page to download.
See sample Newsletter
Help
Company Information
B&H Resources
