Western Digital 500GB My Passport for Mac Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black)
- No Longer Available
The 500GB My Passport for Mac 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.
- The Passport is WD's smallest portable drive, perfect for Mac users on the go
- Includes the WD SmartWare suite, which offers an automatic backup application with an intuitive visual interface that shows your data being backed up. Easily customize the backups to protect the files and directories that you select, and restore files from backups with ease
- Drive Lock allows you to protect your data from unauthorized access, locking the drive using advanced 256-bit encryption with password protection
- Bus-powered USB 2.0 interface
- Compact recyclable packaging is itself manufactured from recycled materials, minimizing waste
- 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 |
Mac OS X Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard USB port |
| General | |
|---|---|
| Mounting | Portable |
| Power Requirements | Bus-powered |
| Environmental Requirements |
Operating Temperature: 32-104°F (0-40°C) Storage Temperature: -4-149°F (-20-65°C) |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 4.3 x 0.6 x 3.2" (11 x 1.5 x 8.3cm) |
| Weight | 0.44 lb (0.2kg) |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 22 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
95%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Easy to use (21)
- Quiet (18)
- Attractive (16)
- Easy to set up (16)
- Compact (14)
Cons
Best Uses
- Back-up (16)
- Photo storage (16)
- Additional storage (13)
- File transfer (11)
- Video (7)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Casual user (12), Power user (9)
- Primary use:
- Personal (15), Business (6)
- Computer Platform:
- Mac (6)
Most Liked Positive Review
Flawless
It worked perfectly from the moment I plugged it in. Did not need to be formatted or primed, or anything, it was totally plug and play! It's almost like a huge flash drive....Read complete review
It worked perfectly from the moment I plugged it in. Did not need to be formatted or primed, or anything, it was totally plug and play! It's almost like a huge flash drive. I use it with Time Machine and it backed up immediately and perfectly. It was also much smaller than I expected, which is great! I would recommend it to anyone, and I would also suggest a case for it if you want to travel with it. Get back ups for your back ups. :)
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
So far, not so good
I recently purchased the Passport for Mac thinking it would be easy to set up and back up data. I have had to call WD several times during the initial set-up. The SmartWare software ...Read complete review
I recently purchased the Passport for Mac thinking it would be easy to set up and back up data. I have had to call WD several times during the initial set-up. The SmartWare software included still has many bugs. I had to reformat twice and remove the SmartWare, but it is still there. I formatted to work with Time Machine instead, however, it has not backed up properly after the initial backup. Have spent a lot of time on the phone with both WD and Apple trying to resolve.
Reviewed by 22 customers
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Displaying reviews 1-20
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Pros
- Compact
- Easy To Set Up
- Easy to use
- Quiet
Cons
- Slow
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
- File Transfer
- Photo Storage
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport for Mac Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
I love the size of the product and it was a great price for a great product.
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Quiet
Cons
Best Uses
- Backup
- File Transfer
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport for Mac Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
very durable and great qaulity
- Primary use:
- Business
- Computer Platform:
- PC
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Easy To Set Up
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Portable
- Quiet
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport for Mac Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
Connects to Time Machine on my MacBook Pro, I don't have to think about backing up, as it does it for me. My last portable hard drive often created conflict with other programs, but so far this has not.
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Easy To Set Up
- Easy to use
- Portable
- Quiet
Cons
Best Uses
- Backup
- Photo Storage
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport for Mac Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
small and portable
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Compact
- Easy To Set Up
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Quiet
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport for Mac Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
Very easy to store the data and to update them.
The hard drive is small, light, it's protected outside. It has a high capacity of storage. The corners are flatten.
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Easy To Set Up
- 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 for Mac Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
I use the products for everything. not once did it give me any trouble. It is fast and does not loose any data during the transfer like many external hard disks.
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Compact
- Easy To Set Up
- Easy to use
- Quiet
Cons
Best Uses
- Backup
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport for Mac Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
I bought this for my girlfriend, who is not very familiar with computers, and is now switching to Mac from PC. I wanted her to have a simple backup for her Macbook Pro. I have had problems with Mac recognizing PC configured WD Passports in the past,even after reformatting with disk utility and using patch software, so I wanted to make sure this model was pre-formatted for Mac so it wouldn't give her any trouble. I plugged it into her laptop, and before it could run it's own software, Time Machine popped up and it took only seconds to set up! So far it is working very well.
- Primary use:
- Personal
- Computer Platform:
- Mac
Pros
- Easy to use
- Portable
Cons
Best Uses
- Backup
- Photo Storage
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport for Mac Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
Works ust fine but what I love best about this hard drive is the size. Perfect for travel.
- Primary use:
- Business
Pros
- Compact
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Quiet
Cons
- Not much choice in skin
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
- File Transfer
- Photo Storage
- Video
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport for Mac Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
The only complaint - I wished they would offer different skins/cover.
Other than that - its great. This is my 4th WD portable drive, but my first one for my Mac.
Other WD drives works great. NO Problems.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Compact
- Easy To Set Up
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Quiet
Cons
- No Power Switch
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
- File Transfer
- Photo Storage
- Video
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport for Mac Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
No problem setting up, It has plenty of storage. The price seems fair. I'm good with this product. I will probably buy another for my work machine.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Compact
- Easy To Set Up
- Easy to use
- Quiet
Cons
Best Uses
- Backup
- Photo Storage
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport for Mac Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
I appreciate that the portable hard drive is so light weight and compact. We travel for most of the year and I need my computer to be protected, but I want to minimize the gear and the cords. This hard drive is perfect for my needs.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Compact
- Easy To Set Up
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Quiet
Cons
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
- File Transfer
- Photo Storage
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport for Mac Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
I have owned a number of WB in the past, as they were this is also a great unit..I also have to say dealing with B&H was a true pleasure
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Compact
- Easy To Set Up
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Quiet
Cons
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
- File Transfer
- Photo Storage
- Video
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport for Mac Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
It is indeed a passport size that you can put it in your shirt's breast pocket.
Good thing the built-in software doesn't install in your Mac anymore, you can eject the SmartWare software if you don't like it. However in order to use security, you need to install SmartWare which I hated.
Works seamlessly with Time Machine.
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Compact
- Easy To Set Up
- Easy to use
Cons
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Photo Storage
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport for Mac Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
I was recommended this drive by an Apple Representative. The price was great for the amount of space on the drive. I use the drive to store my entire Aperture library and which I also back up with a larger drive. It only took about 5 minutes to copy my library to the drive which consisted of about 3000 images, mostly RAW. Plus the drive is very compact so I can take it anywhere.
- Primary use:
- Business
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Compact
- Easy To Set Up
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Quiet
Cons
- None
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
- File Transfer
- Photo Storage
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport for Mac Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
I'm a college student majoring in Photography and I use this hard drive to store my images in. It is totally reliable and easy to use! No problems with it at all. Absolutely love it. I like how small, thin, and portable it is. And it's so quiet!
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Easy to use
- Portable
Cons
Best Uses
- Photo Storage
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport for Mac Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
Very easy to use and to instal, you´ll only have to conect to the computer and it will start.
- Primary use:
- Business
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Easy To Set Up
- 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 for Mac Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
It worked perfectly from the moment I plugged it in. Did not need to be formatted or primed, or anything, it was totally plug and play! It's almost like a huge flash drive. I use it with Time Machine and it backed up immediately and perfectly. It was also much smaller than I expected, which is great! I would recommend it to anyone, and I would also suggest a case for it if you want to travel with it. Get back ups for your back ups. :)
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Compact
- Easy To Set Up
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Quiet
Cons
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
- Photo Storage
- Video
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport for Mac Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
Very compact and easy to carry around
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Compact
- Easy to use
- High Capacity
- Quiet
Cons
- Loose connectors
Best Uses
- Additional Storage
- Backup
- File Transfer
- Music Storage
- Photo Storage
- Video
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport for Mac Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
So this little guy holds some of my music collection, it does it well and fast. easily tossed into a bag or pocket. there is just one minor flaw, the cord tends to fall out of the hard drive if moved, But they make a base that fixes that. plug in the USB and drop it onto the base. (sold separately)
- Primary use:
- Personal
Pros
- Attractive Design
- Compact
Cons
- Difficult To Use
- Unreliable
Best Uses
Comments about Western Digital 500GB My Passport for Mac Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black):
I recently purchased the Passport for Mac thinking it would be easy to set up and back up data. I have had to call WD several times during the initial set-up. The SmartWare software included still has many bugs. I had to reformat twice and remove the SmartWare, but it is still there. I formatted to work with Time Machine instead, however, it has not backed up properly after the initial backup. Have spent a lot of time on the phone with both WD and Apple trying to resolve.
- Primary use:
- Business
Displaying reviews 1-20
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What's in the Box
- USB 2.0 Cable
- Quick Install Guide
- 2-Year Limited Warranty
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