Product Description
The WDG1U7500N MyBook Essential Edition External Hard Drive is small, simple, elegant and very easy to use. Simply plug it in and you have room to back up your valuable data, music, photos and movies. Intelligent drive management features MyBook drive turns itself on and off with your computer. The elegant book design case takes up less space on your desk and allows two or more drives to stand neatly together like volumes on a shelf. Exceptionally fast while ultra quiet & cool running, the MyBook Essential Edition External Hard Drive includes Free Google software to search your drive, manage your photos and simplify Web searches.
Customer Reviews:
External storage of Hi Def recordings.......2007-12-24
I bought this drive to use with my Dish Network HD DVR. It was very easy to hook up and caused no problems with authorization or operation. It has provided a solution for my disk space shortage on my DVR. I have no complaints at all.
Just a simple Plug-n-Play and your on your way! .......2007-12-07
I bought this to put next to the WD320 with a matching case. The connection was easy and I began copying all the files over immediately. The performance works good enough to stream video to my media center PC which is all I really need.
You can't go wrong with this one.
Everything works as expected with reasonable performance.......2007-11-03
Reasonable performance (30-40MB/sec write performance), and is working well for me.
I repartitioned and reformatted this as HFS+ (Journaled) for my MacBook Pro, but everything should apply to Windows machines as well.
The DC power supply is smaller than I've seen in the past for drives, which is nice, and this unit is reasonably well cooled, half-stylish, quiet, and has good performance.
Couldn't expect much more.
a bit disappointed.......2007-10-07
After getting this hard drive (new), I transferred files from an internal storage disk on an old Mac. Not all the files had extensions. So I found I had to rename files and add extentions for it to copy. It ended up being long tedious work. Then, once the files were transferred, I made the grave mistake of deleting them off my old Mac which I had intended to give to a friend, only to learn later that MANY files got corrupted. What a painful lesson to learn. I even opted for a slower transfer speed to ensure its success.
Then, upon trying to navigate to some files to use in any given application, both the window and application quit unexpectedly. I have found that the way I'm having to repair this with the aid of a pc and then on a Mac. Again, very time consuming. Otherwise, I'm able to find files again, though many are corrupted from the initial transfer :-(
External Hard Disk for MOXI.......2007-08-20
I bought this to extend my MOXI set top box. Just plugged it in, and it worked. So far, so good.
Average customer rating:
- Great Addition To My Set Up
- Buy this instead of Premium or Essential!!
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Western Digital WDG1T3200N My Book Pro Edition 320 GB USB/Firewire Triple Interface External Hard Drive
Manufacturer: Western Digital
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics
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Product Features:
- Triple interface ? FireWire 800, FireWire 400, and USB 2.0
- EMC Retrospect Express ? Powerful backup software that includes full system backup and recovery, easy scheduling, and encryption
- Capacity gauge ? See at a glance how much space is available on your drive.
- Intelligent drive management features ? Automatic power-up, Safe Shutdown, and LED activity lights make this drive especially easy to use.
- Smart design ? The compact elegant case, iconic of a book, takes up less space on your desk, stacks horizontally, and allows two or more drives to nestle neatly together like volumes on a shelf.
ASIN: B000Q1S56Y
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Product Description
WD's My Book Pro Edition external hard drive with triple interface combines three leading external hard drive interfaces (FireWire 800, FireWire 400, and USB 2.0) on one drive for maximum performance and universal connectivity. Designed to work on both Macintosh computers and PCs, this drive includes powerful EMC Retrospect Express backup and recovery software, a unique Capacity Gauge LED, and a 3-year limited warranty. High quality hard drive ? Inside the case is an exceptionally fast (7200 RPM spin speed), ultra quiet, cool-running hard drive from WD. of course! Western Digital 3-year limited warranty System Requirements - Available USB or Firewire Port / Windows 2000/XP/Vista or Mac OS X 10.2.8+ This drive requires a USB, FireWire 400 or FireWire 800 connection - Cables included
Customer Reviews:
Great Addition To My Set Up.......2007-12-29
I purchased this xmas night (tuesday) and received it thursday morning! I have an apple computer as my main workstation and was running out of storage space quick since i recently got into video editing with Final Cut Studio 2. I got this one since it has USB, FW400, and FW800, the 2 latter which stream audio and video extremely quickly (USB 2.0 sends data in packets so HD video would stutter on playback in the editor, FireWire sends data as streams).
The Drive is Very quiet, dosnt make a peep, even when reading or writing, and there is no annoying fan noise. The sleek aluminum case never gets hot and it matches perfectly to my sleek apple laptop.
Even though it is not as portable as some other drives are marketed to be, it is still very easy to transport with WD's simple button interface. Hit the center button and the drive will eject and turn itself off! All you have to do is unplug and toss in your bag or w/e.
Must have for anyone that has a lot of music, pictures, or videos.
One thing you should all know if you didnt all ready, the reason why computers seem to get slow over time is because as a HD gets full, the seek time increases for info, getting all the large files and the bulk of your collection on an external leaves the main HD fairly clean for faster system performance.
Buy this instead of Premium or Essential!!.......2007-08-21
In my opinion, if you are in the market for an External Hard Drive and Western Digital 320GB My Book is what you want, but can't decide between Essential Edition, Premium Edition, and this one - Pro Edition, this is the one to get. With it's triple interface you can transfer files using USB 2.0, FireWire 400, and FireWire 800. If your computer is not compatible with FireWire 800, I would reccommend the Essential Edition. I wouldn't reccommend the Premium Edition at all. It's really the same as Essential, except it has FireWire 400, the ring on the front that lights up to tell you how full it is, and back-up software, which isn't good at all. FireWire 400 is worse than USB 2.0, in my opinion, so obviously don't buy it for that reason. If you're going to use FireWire, get FireWire 800. This allows 800Mbit/s, while FireWire 400 allows 400Mbit/s, and USB 2.0 480Mbits/s. If you're looking to get it, but don't want just the essential edition, get this edition, don't even contemplate getting the premium edition, as it'd be a waste of money!
I also like the colors of this one (silver case, blue light) more than the Essential and Premium ones (black case, green light), but that's just my opinion.
Product Description
This elegant external hard drive, reminiscent of a book, is the perfect solution when you're running out of hard drive capacity or need to archive some important digital documents, photos or music. It takes no more space than a paperback book. Collect two or more and they nest neatly together like volumes on a shelf. Data transfer rate - 480 Mb/s (maximum) Works with Windows 2000, XP, Vista and Mac OS X 10.4.8 or later Dimensions - Height 6.5 x Depth 5.4 x Width 2.1 (166x137x54mm) Weight - 2.5 pounds (1.15 kg)
Product Description
Package Includes:WDG1U5000 MyBook, USB cable, AC adapter with power cord, Quick Install Guide
The Western Digital WDG1U5000 MyBook is a small, simple, elegant and very easy to use portable memory tool. Just plug it in, and you've got plenty of room to back up and save your valuable data, music, photos, and movies. Plug it into your computer's USB 2.0 port and start saving -- it's all about simplicity. The 500GB hard drive will store either 142,000 digital photos, 38 hours of Digital Video (DV), 60 hours of HD or 200 hours of DVD quality video. It can also hold up to 125,000 songs in MP3 format, or 12,000 songs in uncompressed CD quality. Serial Transfer Rate(USB 2.0) - 480 Mbits/s (Max) Read Seek Time - 8.9 ms Track-To-Track Seek Time - 2.0 ms (average) Operating Systems - Windows 98SE/Me/2000/XP or Mac OS X 10.2.8 (or higher) Requires available USB port Physical Dimensions(HxLxW) - 6.71 x 5.6 x 2.25 (170 x 141 x 57.2 mm) Weight - 2.90 lbs. (1.32 kg)
Amazon.com Product Description
Is your computer loaded with photos, music, video, and all sorts of important files? If so, you should make extra room, back them up, and keep them safe on Western Digital's WDG1U5000 My Book Essential Edition 500 GB Hard Drive. This reliable, easy-to-use external hard drive is the perfect storage solution for all your precious digital assets.
Save and back up all your digital assets with the My Book Essential Edition Hard Drive. View larger.
|
Simple, easy-to-use design. |
Connects to your computer via USB 2.0 interface. View larger. |
The elegant case takes up very little space. |
Installation is a breeze because you don't really "install" anything -- just plug it in and it's ready to use. There is not even an installation CD because all the included software loads automatically from the hard drive the first time you plug it in. The My Book Essential is all about simplicity. Just plug it into your computer's USB 2.0 port and you're ready to start saving and backing up your files.
But that's not all. Western Digital uses a smart design to make the My Book Essential look as good as it performs. The elegant case resembles a book and takes up very little space on your desk. Plus, it stacks horizontally and allows two or more drives to nestle neatly together like encyclopedias on a shelf. Inside the stylish exterior is an exceptionally fast, ultra-quiet, cool-running hard drive. Last but not least, the My Book Essential is equipped with free Google software that searches your drives, manages your photos, and simplifies Web searches.
My Book Essential Edition Hard Drives are ideal for:
- Simple add-on storage for your files, music, photos and movies
- Adding virtually unlimited storage with multiple USB 2.0 external hard drives
- Archiving the music stored on your MP3 player
- Adding plenty of space for digital video capture and editing
- Saving and organizing your digital photo collection
Note: For higher performance and automatic backup software, consider the My Book Premium Edition 500 GB Hard Drive.
What's in the Box
My Book Essential 500 GB USB 2.0 external hard drive, USB cable, AC adapter with power cord, and quick install guide.
Customer Reviews:
I wish there were 0 stars.......2007-12-29
I bought this - transferred 200GB of data to it, and next time I used it all the data, and the format of the drive was gone. It said I needed to reformat the drive. This has happened twice now. With so many people claiming this is defective it is no wonder they are on sale everywhere.
Lots of Storage for the money.......2007-12-29
This was brought out by WD several months ago at a hefty price tag of around 350.00 dollars. But I purchased this one for 119.00 and its a whopping 500gig external drive. I now have three of them, and all my WD hard drives work flawlessly. NICE PRODUCT AND A GREAT PRICE...AMAZON DELIVERS AGAIN..
Dennis
Just Bought my 4th of these... Only one problem.......2007-12-29
This is a very nice, very simple, very stable product. I just bought my fourth of these... a testimony to my happiness with the item. One problem: I had one of these take a tumble to the floor from a 30-inch work surface while operating. It sort-of worked, but was not reliable afterwards.
Questionable reliability.......2007-12-28
I purchased this hard drive to store and back-up music and video files. In the first 4 months, it worked fine but copying larger files was very slooow. One day after 4 months, I started the computer and got a message that the hard drive needed to be reformated. After working with tech support, I needed to reformat the drive, losing all the files stored there. The files were "recoverable" but at an additional cost. NOT TRUSTWORTHY!
Works great!.......2007-12-28
No complaints with this product. Amazon prime is great for the 2-day shipping alone. Timely delivery by Amazon. Plug and play....because I'm using it with a Mac, not sure how it works on a PC machine.
Product Description
With USB 2.0 interface, enjoy not only this sleek unit's 250GB storage capacity but also the compatibility with both PC and Macintosh. 7200 rpm for fast read&write times 8.9 ms average seek time Automatic power-up, Safe Shutdown and LED activity lights make this drive easy to use Capacity gauge lets you see at a glance how much space is left on your drive Stackable metal case looks like a book and sits horizontally or vertically Compatible with PC and Mac Average Latency - 4.2 ms System Requirements - Windows 98 SE, ME, 2000, XP, Mac OS 9.2.2, X 10.2.8 or later, available USB port
Amazon.com Product Description
Is your computer loaded with photos, music, video, and all sorts of important files? If so, you should make extra room, back them up, and keep them safe on Western Digital's WDG1U2500 My Book Essential Edition 250 GB Hard Drive. This reliable, easy-to-use external hard drive is the perfect storage solution for all your precious digital assets.
Save and back up all your digital assets with the My Book Essential Edition Hard Drive. View larger.
|
Simple, easy-to-use design. |
Connects to your computer via USB 2.0 interface. View larger. |
The elegant case takes up very little space. |
Installation is a breeze because you don't really "install" anything -- just plug it in and it's ready to use. There is not even an installation CD because all the included software loads automatically from the hard drive the first time you plug it in. The My Book Essential is all about simplicity. Just plug it into your computer's USB 2.0 port and you're ready to start saving and backing up your files.
But that's not all. Western Digital uses a smart design to make the My Book Essential look as good as it performs. The elegant case resembles a book and takes up very little space on your desk. Plus, it stacks horizontally and allows two or more drives to nestle neatly together like encyclopedias on a shelf. Inside the stylish exterior is an exceptionally fast, ultra-quiet, cool-running hard drive. Last but not least, the My Book Essential is equipped with free Google software that searches your drives, manages your photos, and simplifies Web searches.
My Book Essential Edition Hard Drives are ideal for:
- Simple add-on storage for your files, music, photos and movies
- Adding virtually unlimited storage with multiple USB 2.0 external hard drives
- Archiving the music stored on your MP3 player
- Adding plenty of space for digital video capture and editing
- Saving and organizing your digital photo collection
Note: For higher performance and automatic backup software, consider the My Book Premium Edition 250 GB Hard Drive.
What's in the Box
My Book Essential 250 GB USB 2.0 external hard drive, USB cable, AC adapter with power cord, and quick install guide.
Customer Reviews:
Not Mobile.......2007-12-31
Here is my only complaint. The drive is indeed easily set up on most computers (plug it in and it's good) however the power cord and physical size make this fairly unwieldy. You will groan each time you have to yank the power cord and brick out of the wall to move it to a different computer or travel. For me, it wasn't worth it to put up with this when similar storage-size USB powered drives that are half the size and 1/3 the weight are available and require no power cord.
If you plan to leave it on one desk and not move it much then it should be fine! It does work well and is speedy.
WD External Hard Drive.......2007-12-29
Got a 250GB HD last month. It works very well with my Windows 98SE machine. Good for backups and will facilitate transition to more advanced operating system in the future.
Western Digital My Book 250 GB External Hard Drive.......2007-12-28
This is a great product it is good for data, music, movies, and backing up your computer. It has tons of space and I recomend this to any one. I also put my movies on it and was able to connect it to my xbox 360 and watch moves off of it. It is a great device that can help move some files off your computer and free up some space. Makes a great gift too.
Worst customer service.......2007-12-13
My my book crashed within a few months. The customer service never picks up the phone. It just keeps ringing. The enclosure is sealed so I can't check open it unless I want to void the warranty, which I will do tommorrow.
If you buy this product just keep your fingers crossed that you will never need customer support. Warranty is meaningless.
ok for a little while.......2007-11-29
I bought this during the after Thanksgiving sales last year and was happy with it until about a month ago. The light flickered and the drive is no more. Gone are all my files and more importantly - all my music. It was great while it lasted - but not worth the $70 I paid for it. Nothing could be recovered from the drive either and I took it to two different places. I will be continuing my search for a hard drive - and staying far away from Western Digital.
Product Description
The USB 2.0 interface gives up to 480 Mbps transfer rates. 8.9 ms average seek time Automatic power-up, Safe Shutdown and LED activity lights make this drive easy to use Stackable case looks like a book and sits horizontally or vertically Compatible with PC and Mac Average Latency - 4.2 ms System Requirements - Windows 98 SE, ME, 2000, XP, Mac OS 9.2.2, X 10.2.8 or later, available USB port
Amazon.com Product Description
Is your computer loaded with photos, music, video, and all sorts of important files? If so, you should make extra room, back them up, and keep them safe on Western Digital's WDG1U3200 My Book Essential Edition 320 GB Hard Drive. This reliable, easy-to-use external hard drive is the perfect storage solution for all your precious digital assets.
Save and back up all your digital assets with the My Book Essential Edition Hard Drive. View larger.
|
Simple, easy-to-use design. |
Connects to your computer via USB 2.0 interface. View larger. |
The elegant case takes up very little space. |
Installation is a breeze because you don't really "install" anything -- just plug it in and it's ready to use. There is not even an installation CD because all the included software loads automatically from the hard drive the first time you plug it in. The My Book Essential is all about simplicity. Just plug it into your computer's USB 2.0 port and you're ready to start saving and backing up your files.
But that's not all. Western Digital uses a smart design to make the My Book Essential look as good as it performs. The elegant case resembles a book and takes up very little space on your desk. Plus, it stacks horizontally and allows two or more drives to nestle neatly together like encyclopedias on a shelf. Inside the stylish exterior is an exceptionally fast, ultra-quiet, cool-running hard drive. Last but not least, the My Book Essential is equipped with free Google software that searches your drives, manages your photos, and simplifies Web searches.
My Book Essential Edition Hard Drives are ideal for:
- Simple add-on storage for your files, music, photos and movies
- Adding virtually unlimited storage with multiple USB 2.0 external hard drives
- Archiving the music stored on your MP3 player
- Adding plenty of space for digital video capture and editing
- Saving and organizing your digital photo collection
Note: For higher performance and automatic backup software, consider the My Book Premium Edition 320 GB Hard Drive.
What's in the Box
My Book Essential 320 GB USB 2.0 external hard drive, USB cable, AC adapter with power cord, and quick install guide.
Customer Reviews:
EXCELLENT DATA STORAGE!.......2007-12-17
I have three of these: a 320GB Essential (the first one I bought about 2 years ago), a 500GB Premium and (lately) a 750GB Professional. (I avoided the 1TB version due to the universally bad reviews it received). Their different colored lights help me keep my files separate and organized - and always backed up.
I have mostly good things to say about all of them: they are stable, silent enough to operate at home and can be formated to either Fat32 or NTFS to suit one's needs. I formated to NTFS before using it (but make sure to back up the contained files and utilities first).
My only complain is that when more than half-full, it takes some minutes for my PC to verify all the files contained and be able to use them. Utilizing the FireWire only slightly improves the time delay.
Regarding the complains about crashes and data losses: there is of course the possibility of this to happen to any data storage medium. Had I not had a flawless experience with my previous MY BOOKs, these concerns would had prevented me from expanding my...library. However, keep in mind that this is NOT a PORTABLE External HDD. It does not contain a solid-state flash drive, but instead a regular HardDisk Drive. So, moving it from place to place, shaking it (and even carrying it in a backpack) may not be the best way to ensure smooth operation.
On this note, can anyone trust any delivery service or company NOT to shake or drop it during shipment?
RECOMMENDED!
Awesome Product.......2007-12-13
This is a great product. Im very happy with it. Its refurbished, but It looks like new and it works like new. What i like about this product is that its not big at all. I thought it was going to take a lot of space in my desk and the price is good too. perfect buy!
GREAT.......2007-11-29
I bough one last year working great. and I bought another one 2 month ago
working great. Recommended.
Very impressed.... so far.......2007-11-16
Though I never owned an external hard drive before this one, it works very well. It is pretty quiet (though not SILENT) transfers information much quicker than I expected, and is very conveniently sized. If I have troubles with it, I'll be sure to update.
The Honeymoon is over, and it ended with a bang.......2007-11-04
Worked flawlessly for about two months. Today it's blinking on/off in a very fast infinitely repeating cycle. From Answer ID # 1314 on WD Tech Support, it means it either isn't getting enough power from the power strip/surge protector (ruled that out), has had a power supply failure, or a drive failure. And to make this sweeter, I didn't make the DVD backups of my data like I should; I grew too trusting of my WD. Well, I've been cured of that. The honeymoon is over, and it ended with a bang. Not literally, but it might as well have been.
Product Description
Take up less space on your desktop so you can have more room to work with this compact harddrive to store digital photos, music, video, data and more. Stack this hard drive horizontally and operate it with its simple, quiet operation. 8.9 ms average seek time (read) Automatic power-up and LED activity lights for easy operation Quiet operation Compact design takes up about the same space as a book and stacks horizontally Compatible with Mac and PC Average Latency 4.2 ms System Requirements - Windows 98 SE, ME, 2000, XP, Mac OS X 10.2 or later, available USB port
Amazon.com Product Description
Is your computer loaded with photos, music, video, and all sorts of important files? If so, you should make extra room, back them up, and keep them safe on Western Digital's WDG1U1600 My Book Essential Edition 160 GB Hard Drive. This reliable, easy-to-use external hard drive is the perfect storage solution for all your precious digital assets.
Save and back up all your digital assets with the My Book Essential Edition Hard Drive. View larger.
|
Simple, easy-to-use design. |
Connects to your computer via USB 2.0 interface. View larger. |
The elegant case takes up very little space. |
Installation is a breeze because you don't really "install" anything -- just plug it in and it's ready to use. There is not even an installation CD because all the included software loads automatically from the hard drive the first time you plug it in. The My Book Essential is all about simplicity. Just plug it into your computer's USB 2.0 port and you're ready to start saving and backing up your files.
But that's not all. Western Digital uses a smart design to make the My Book Essential look as good as it performs. The elegant case resembles a book and takes up very little space on your desk. Plus, it stacks horizontally and allows two or more drives to nestle neatly together like encyclopedias on a shelf. Inside the stylish exterior is an exceptionally fast, ultra-quiet, cool-running hard drive. Last but not least, the My Book Essential is equipped with free Google software that searches your drives, manages your photos, and simplifies Web searches.
My Book Essential Edition Hard Drives are ideal for:
- Simple add-on storage for your files, music, photos and movies
- Adding virtually unlimited storage with multiple USB 2.0 external hard drives
- Archiving the music stored on your MP3 player
- Adding plenty of space for digital video capture and editing
- Saving and organizing your digital photo collection
Note: For higher performance and automatic backup software, consider the My Book Premium Edition 160 GB Hard Drive.
What's in the Box
My Book Essential 160 GB USB 2.0 external hard drive, USB cable, AC adapter with power cord, and quick install guide.
Customer Reviews:
I'm still in shock!.......2007-09-27
Western Digital WDG1U1600 My Book Essential Edition 160GB External Hard Drive
I purchased the My Book in 02/07 obviously to add more storage
to my PC, but moreover to use for a backup source.
I'd read good reviews about Western Digital from several sources,
plus it was in my price range. Sold!
It worked beautifully from the time I installed it--and I worked it
hard! I'm disABLED now, but have found my calling doing work for my Church. Building their first website, working on the logo, etc. is a
summary of what I've been mainly working on. Collecting information
along the way in the form of eBooks, articles, etc. to be referenced later has also been stored.
Sadly, I had just finished transferring a lot of that information over to the My Book when I smelled an odd "electrical smell". Panic-stricken, I looked down and the button on the HD was flashing. You probably heard my screams.
Noticing that the "Safe to unplug" icon was not on the taskbar, and
unable to turn the unit off I had to unplug everything. I tried to get it boot up later, but the computer never recognized it.
After reading all of the other similar experiences, all I can say is,
"I feel your pain. I reeally feel your pain."
EIGHTEEN MONTHS--AND GOODBYE.......2007-09-15
I bought this drive as a brand-new, sealed box item, and used it infrequently for 18 months, with no real problems. Five days ago, it began emitting random sequences of two to 10 "click" sounds, several times a day. And today, it died, with all the files that once resided upon it just ... --vanishing. I'd give it an "R.I.P.", if I didn't think that it's hardly unreasonable to expect a significantly longer lifespan for a major peripheral like this; I mean, 18 MONTHS? C'MON! Apparently, Western Digital is a junk peddler. (Indeed, now that I think of it, the unit actually has a junky "feel" to it; cheap plastic, flimsy construction, and all.) Buyer beware.
Bizzare external drive.......2007-08-18
I've owned many an external drive in my time... pretty straightforward-- you turn it on, it is recognized by the computer, you do your thing, you turn it off. For the life of me I cannot figure out how to the "on" switch on this thing works! Turning it off is fine, but I usually have to unplug it to turn it back on. Apparently there is some kind of "button software" that goes along with it (which i downloaded from WD) to no avail. Why the unnecessary complication? Like I got time for this crap.
And what's with the cheap plastic case? You can get a metal case hard drive for the same price. Looks nice in the picture, but trust me it's kinda junky in person...
Western Digital My Book 160GB.......2007-07-29
This external hard drive is being used to transfer old 3.5in. floppy drive data to a central storage. I was really surprised how easy it is to use, and I bought it based on the previous reviews about the ease of use. The connections are obvious, but there is also a graphic for this. With Windows XP-SP2, it set itself up, and now works just like a flashdrive that needs an outlet. It is only the old floppy drive that is slow in transfering the data, because it is incredibly fast otherwise. And it is an attractively-designed enclosure.
It's Great!.......2007-07-27
This external hardrive is easy to use, comes with the appropriate attachments, and is saving me from alot of anxiety about my computer having hardware problems. I have saved all of my music, movies, and pictures, and I still have room for tons more!
Customer Reviews:
nice simplistic device-- works well, no frills, good price.......2007-07-10
When setting up a Windows Home Server for my growing media collection (funny how quickly your collection grows when you start archiving DVR content!) I decided to use external USB drives. After a bit of research, I decided on the MyBook Essential 500 gig unit for a couple reasons:
1.) Reasonable price, no features that I didn't need
2.) Attractive, minimalist design
3.) stacks easily
I have since bought 4 of them, and plan to buy a few more. I'm very pleased... the drives have been 100% reliable despite a year of constant heavy use, and are quieter than any of the other external hard drives I own. They also generate less heat. (The other drives are Maxtor OneTouch and LaCie enclosures.)
Do your research.......2007-06-14
I just ordered this product on sale from Dell. Ive been reading the reviews on Amazon.UK
there are 6 or 7 saying that the drive stops being recognized after a while and data is inaccessable. Im worried about reliability. My files are important to me, but I dont want to have 3 or 4 backups of everything.
The following is a review I found written on another websight about this issue.
The drive worked initially, but then suddenly and seemingly without reason stopped working. XP would only recognize a "USB Device" and then launch the driver wizard. XP SP2 had no driver for it, and neither did WD's site (that I could find). I did an internet search and found a posting where someone had my exact problem, called WD and was told to plug it into the wall directly. BINGO! As soon as I did that it was recognized again; and come to think of it I *had* plugged more stuff into that power strip when the drive quit working. I experimented a bit, and I could reproduce the problem by plugging it into a power strip with lots of other devices, and the problem went away as soon as I plugged it in by itself or on a less crowded power strip. I hope the other reviewers that had this problem had a chance to try this before returning a perfectly good drive.
All you could wish for ..........2007-01-06
I bought this edition because my 3 firewire portals were in use already -- and USB2 is a bit faster than firewire anyway. My pc recognized the new hard drive immediately and I was off and runnning, using it to backup a couple of thousand classical CDs. In fact, it worked so flawlessly that I went out and bought a second one! Both are a bit over half full of WMA music files now. The only drive that can work any faster is the new Seagate "perpendicular" -- so watch the sales!
Product Description
Take up less space on your desktop so you can have more room to work with this compact hard drive to store digital photos, music, video, data and more. Stack this hard drive horizontally and operate it with its simple, quiet operation. 8.9 ms average seek time (read) Automatic power-up and LED activity lights for easy operation Quiet operation Compact design takes up about the same space as a book and stacks horizontally Compatible with Mac and PC Average Latency - 4.2 ms System Requirements - Windows 98 SE, ME, 2000, XP, Mac OS X 10.2 or later, available USB port
Amazon.com Product Description
Is your computer loaded with photos, music, video, and all sorts of important files? If so, you should make extra room, back them up, and keep them safe on Western Digital's WDG1U800 My Book Essential Edition 80 GB Hard Drive. This reliable, easy-to-use external hard drive is the perfect storage solution for all your precious digital assets.
Save and back up all your digital assets with the My Book Essential Edition Hard Drive. View larger.
|
Simple, easy-to-use design. |
Connects to your computer via USB 2.0 interface. View larger. |
The elegant case takes up very little space. |
Installation is a breeze because you don't really "install" anything -- just plug it in and it's ready to use. There is not even an installation CD because all the included software loads automatically from the hard drive the first time you plug it in. The My Book Essential is all about simplicity. Just plug it into your computer's USB 2.0 port and you're ready to start saving and backing up your files.
But that's not all. Western Digital uses a smart design to make the My Book Essential look as good as it performs. The elegant case resembles a book and takes up very little space on your desk. Plus, it stacks horizontally and allows two or more drives to nestle neatly together like encyclopedias on a shelf. Inside the stylish exterior is an exceptionally fast, ultra-quiet, cool-running hard drive. Last but not least, the My Book Essential is equipped with free Google software that searches your drives, manages your photos, and simplifies Web searches.
My Book Essential Edition Hard Drives are ideal for:
- Simple add-on storage for your files, music, photos and movies
- Adding virtually unlimited storage with multiple USB 2.0 external hard drives
- Archiving the music stored on your MP3 player
- Adding plenty of space for digital video capture and editing
- Saving and organizing your digital photo collection
Note: For higher performance and automatic backup software, consider the My Book Premium Edition 160 GB Hard Drive.
What's in the Box
My Book Essential 80 GB USB 2.0 external hard drive, USB cable, AC adapter with power cord, and quick install guide.
Customer Reviews:
Good, but . . . .......2007-06-22
The drive works great. No complaints. Nothing wrong with it. I plugged it into my computer, and it worked just fine. But I was under the mistaken impression that all I needed to do was push one button and the drive would back up my hard drive. Indeed, one of the pictures even shows a hand pointing at a big lit up button like it's saying, "Just push this button and everything will back up." Not true. This drive doesn't have that function. I had to copy everything I wanted to save over to the drive. And even though this 80 GB drive is bigger than the hard drive on my computer, the Microsoft backup function couldn't seem to figure out how to get all of the hard drive's contents on to this external drive. So, if you're just looking for an external drive, this is a good one. If you're looking to push one button and backup your whole hard drive, this isn't for you.
My "My Book".......2006-11-03
I love my external hard drive. It could not have been simpler to install. Transferring files was quick and very easy to do. It does not heat up, as I had heard about others. It sits there quietly and does the job. When it became necessary to reformat my C Drive, I transferred all my music files and photos, and other important data, and it is very easy to retrieve. I highly recommend "My Book".
Product Description
The Western Digital WDG1U4000 MyBook external hard drive is the ideal piece of equipment to expand your digital storage space, with 400 GB of space are available and the particulary nifty hard drive management features so that it turns on and off with your computer. It's small, simple, elegant, and very easy to use. Just plug it in, and you've got plenty of room to back up and save your valuable data, music, photos, and movies. Includes free Google software for Windows computers.
Amazon.com Product Description
Is your computer loaded with photos, music, video, and all sorts of important files? If so, you should make extra room, back them up, and keep them safe on Western Digital's WDG1U4000 My Book Essential Edition 400 GB Hard Drive. This reliable, easy-to-use external hard drive is the perfect storage solution for all your precious digital assets.
Save and back up all your digital assets with the My Book Essential Edition Hard Drive. View larger.
|
Simple, easy-to-use design. |
Connects to your computer via USB 2.0 interface. View larger. |
The elegant case takes up very little space. |
Installation is a breeze because you don't really "install" anything -- just plug it in and it's ready to use. There is not even an installation CD because all the included software loads automatically from the hard drive the first time you plug it in. The My Book Essential is all about simplicity. Just plug it into your computer's USB 2.0 port and you're ready to start saving and backing up your files.
But that's not all. Western Digital uses a smart design to make the My Book Essential look as good as it performs. The elegant case resembles a book and takes up very little space on your desk. Plus, it stacks horizontally and allows two or more drives to nestle neatly together like encyclopedias on a shelf. Inside the stylish exterior is an exceptionally fast, ultra-quiet, cool-running hard drive. Last but not least, the My Book Essential is equipped with free Google software that searches your drives, manages your photos, and simplifies Web searches.
My Book Essential Edition Hard Drives are ideal for:
- Simple add-on storage for your files, music, photos and movies
- Adding virtually unlimited storage with multiple USB 2.0 external hard drives
- Archiving the music stored on your MP3 player
- Adding plenty of space for digital video capture and editing
- Saving and organizing your digital photo collection
Note: For higher performance and automatic backup software, consider the My Book Premium Edition 400 GB Hard Drive.
What's in the Box
My Book Essential 400 GB USB 2.0 external hard drive, USB cable, AC adapter with power cord, and quick install guide.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome.......2007-07-07
Great external drive. Does what it is supposed to. I've even dropped it a few times and it still works great. (data wasnt lost either). Sometimes the on button is weird, you have to push it just right but this is rarely. For the price, this is the best, biggest drive you can buy.
Good basic external drive.......2007-02-08
The My Book Essential is very easy to use. You just plug it in and off you go. That said, I did have problems with getting one of my older PCs (upgraded to XP Home)to recognize the drive. Western Digital tech support was pretty much useless regarding the issue. However, I found that inserting a flash drive at the same time resulted the My Book
finally being recognized. It is quiet too.
Solid performer.......2006-12-12
Very nice unit. Recommended.
Pro: Relativly quite. File corruption is usually concern with externals (especially DIY external enclosures) but not this one. Auto on/off feature keeps unit in sync with pc.
Con: I like the 5 year warrenty of the Seagates; I wish more drive mfgs would follow suite. Only concern regarding 400GB is the price. As of 12/2006 you can get the 500GB for the same price as the 400GB. I got mine at St@ples for $99 Thanksgiving day sale.
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