Version: 2008
  • On MovieTome: The next Marvel mutant movie?
advertisement

Western Digital Passport portable USB drive (60GB)

Add to my list Product summary

The good: Low price; speedy; compact; attractive design; supereasy installation; no power adapter required with most computers.

The bad: Doesn't include a carrying case; lacks software utilities.

The bottom line: The Western Digital WD Passport is a fast, easy, inexpensive way to take and transfer large files on the road.

Read full review

Compare this laptop hard drive to:

CNET editors' review

  • CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
    Detailed editors' rating
      Setup and ease of use : 8.0
      Features : 6.0
      Performance : 7.0
      Service and support : 7.0
      Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)
  • Reviewed on: 08/24/2005
  • Released on: 11/01/2004

Each extra ounce you add to your travel bag means a heavier burden to carry--so everything in your pack should be well worth the load. The Western Digital Passport portable USB 2.0 drive--available in 40GB, 60GB, and 80GB capacities--is one of those worthy additions, offering a compact design, fast performance, and ample storage space for a low price. We recommend it to anyone who needs affordable storage on the go, save those who can't deal with its lack of a carrying case and software utilities.

The Western Digital Passport is a fitting name for this device, since it's about the size of a standard passport (albeit a bit thicker). It weighs a light 9.8 ounces and measures 5.7 inches long, 3.5 inches wide, and 0.8 inch thick, though it looks even smaller because of its curved edges. The top and front edges are made of silver-colored plastic, while its remaining edges and bottom are covered in a smooth, blue rubberized material that helps to keep the drive from sliding around. A blue status light on the front edge blinks to indicate drive activity. The WD Passport's USB 2.0 and AC connectors sit behind a handy protective cover on the right edge; we wish the entire unit shipped with a protective carrying case as well. Western Digital claims that the drive offers shock-absorbing capabilities; while we can't verify whether the Western Digital Passport will withstand years of abuse, it continued to function fine after we subjected it to a few drops.

Installing the WD Passport USB drive takes only a few blinks of an eye. We used the included USB cable to connect our test unit, the 80GB model, to the USB 2.0 port on our Windows XP-based PC. The drive showed up in our system's registry a moment later. The USB ports on most computers should sufficiently power the device, but for those that don't, Western Digital sells a 5V AC adapter for about $10.

Continue reading

Most helpful user reviews

Submit your review

Log in or create an account to submit your review for:

Western Digital Passport portable USB drive (60GB)

ORLog in with your Facebook account
1. Rate this product:
(Mouse over the stars to rate this product and click to set your rating.)
2. One-line summary:(Summarize your review in one line. 10 characters minimum; required.)
0 of 55 characters
3. Pros:(Tell us what you like about this product. 10 characters minimum; required.)
0 of 250 characters
4. Cons:(Tell us what you don't like about this product. 10 characters minimum; required.)
0 of 250 characters
Bottom-line summary:(Explain to us in detail why you like or dislike the product, focusing your comments on the product's features and functionality, and your experience using the product. This field is optional.)
0 of 5000 characters

The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks are prohibited.
Click here to review our site terms of use.

Submit

Compare prices for Western Digital Passport portable USB drive

This product is currently not in stock at any of our online merchants.

Email me when this product is available

advertisement

Recent user reviews

Submit your review

Log in or create an account to submit your review for:

Western Digital Passport portable USB drive (60GB)

ORLog in with your Facebook account
1. Rate this product:
(Mouse over the stars to rate this product and click to set your rating.)
2. One-line summary:(Summarize your review in one line. 10 characters minimum; required.)
0 of 55 characters
3. Pros:(Tell us what you like about this product. 10 characters minimum; required.)
0 of 250 characters
4. Cons:(Tell us what you don't like about this product. 10 characters minimum; required.)
0 of 250 characters
Bottom-line summary:(Explain to us in detail why you like or dislike the product, focusing your comments on the product's features and functionality, and your experience using the product. This field is optional.)
0 of 5000 characters

The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks are prohibited.
Click here to review our site terms of use.

Submit

Special sponsor stores

advertisement
advertisement

Western Digital Passport portable USB drive (60GB)

Explore more on cnet

Before you buy
Editors' top storage
See all hard-drive reviews
See all burner reviews
More on hard drives & burners
Storage forum