Manage updates with the Download App
The drive contains the WD SmartWare suite, which includes WD Drive Utility, WD Security, and WD Backup applications; I found these very useful. WD Drive Utility is a set of utilities that helps check on the drive's status, or test its functionality; WD Security lets you secure the drive's content with a password; and WD Backup is a handy backup program.
WD Backup actually makes making backing up data a very easy and intuitive job. You can choose to back up folders and files, or it can automatically back up important data, which is very useful for those who aren't as computer-savvy. The only complaint I have about it is that it doesn't back up the entire system as an image for system recovery in case the hard drive fails, or when you want to upgrade your computer to a new internal drive.
Performance
The My Passport Edge performed well for a drive of its size. I tested both with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 and in both cases, it wasn't the fastest, nor was it the slowest, either. Overall it's right about average.
When used with USB 3.0, it scored 83MBps for writing, which is slightly faster than the GoFlex Slim, which reached 82MBps. In the read test, however, it registered 98MBps, slightly slower than the Slim. When used with USB 2.0, the drive averaged 25MBps and 33MBps for writing and reading, respectively.
The My Passport Edge worked very quietly in my testing and produced no vibration and almost no heat at all.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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Read | |
Write |
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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Read | |
Write |
Conclusion
Good-looking, sturdy, and very compact, the new WD My Passport Edge is a very good portable storage and backup solution for novice users.
