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Western Digital Passport USB Portable Hard Drive (120GB 2.5-inch)
Reviewed by
Dong Van Ngo
on 09/08/2006
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The good: Compact; bus-powered; quick at reading and writing; includes sync and encryption software; comes with a zippered, hard carrying case.

The bad: Sync software works with only Windows XP and 2000; phone support may eventually become expensive.

The bottom line: Western Digital's Passport Portable External Hard Drive lets you take a lot of data on the road for a low price.

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CNET editors' review

  • CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
    Detailed editors' rating
      Setup and ease of use : 8.0
      Features and security : 7.0
      Performance : 7.0
      Service and support : 6.0
      Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)
  • Reviewed by:
    Dong Van Ngo
  • Edited by:
    Felisa Yang
  • Reviewed on: 09/08/2006
  • Released on: 06/01/2006
The latest version of the Western Digital Passport Portable External Hard Drive lives up to its name: it's about the same size as a passport. We were surprised at its light weight, too, given its solid design, but we expect as much from a portable drive. Setting up the Passport was a no-brainer. The drive comes with a single standard mini USB cable for both data and power, as the drive is bus-powered, a nice touch for portable drive. (Still we prefer the integrated design of the Apricorn Aegis Mini.) All we had to do is plug in the drive to our PC, and we were up and running.

Western Digital preloads some software on the drive, including Google's desktop software, WD Sync synchronization-and-encryption software, and an electronic version of the included quick-start guide. Unfortunately, the sync-and-encrypt software works with only Windows 2000 and XP operating systems, so Mac users will have to find and install their own software. The drive also comes with a zippered, hard case that's just roomy enough for the drive and the cable, convenient for anyone on the go.

  • Drive type: Portable hard drive
  • Capacities: 60GB, 80GB, 100GB, 120GB (5,400rpm)
  • Capacity of test unit: 120GB
  • Cache: 2MB
  • Dimension: 5.68 inches by 3.5 inches by 0.83 in inch (LWH); 0.6 pound
  • Notable design features: None
  • Connection options: USB 2.0
  • OSs supported: Windows 98 SE/Me/2000/XP; Mac OS 9.2.2 or Mac OS X 10.1.5+
  • Software included (on drive): WD Sync synchronization-and-encryption software
  • Any additional features: Zippered, hard carrying case
  • Service/support: One-year warranty; phone support: free for 30 days from first call, $14.95 per incident after 30 days, toll-free, available Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., CT; Web site has knowledge base, downloads, and an e-mail support form.

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Reviews from around the WebPowered by alaTest

  • alaTest.com

    Summary: alaTest collected and analyzed 1220 reviews of WD3200BEVT Scorpio Blue Set 1 from international magazines and websites and compared these to 89393 reviews for other Hard Drives. Experts rate this product 74/100 and users 88/100. The amount of rated reviews for this product is too low to calculate a reliable alaScore™.

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  • macworld.co.uk

    Editors' rating: 60

    Summary: Western Digital's My Passport Studio is a portable hard drive that's bus powered - it doesn't include a power adaptor. The drive ships in a Mac-friendly format and works with Time Machine, Leopard's built-in backup utility.

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  • 3dgameman.com

    Editors' rating: 40

    Summary: I've tested Super Talent memory in the past and been pleased. Their latest ProjectX DDR3 PC3-14400 Memory product is really fast memory with a decent timing of 7-7-7-21. Although this memory timing is still a slow when compared to DDR2, it's great ...

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  • techtree.com

    Editors' rating: 60

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  • pcmag.com

    Editors' rating: 80

    Summary: If you were thinking of getting the WD My Passport Elite but have a Mac, get the My Passport Studio instead. It works better with Macsparticularly those running OS X Leopardand has FireWire to boot (pun intended).

    Read full review

  • goodgearguide.com.au

    Editors' rating: 80

    Summary: As a replacement drive for a Serial ATA-based notebook, the Scorpio is ideal. It runs cool and silently, and its performance was surprisingly good in our tests.

    Read full review

Western Digital Passport USB Portable Hard Drive (120GB 2.5-inch)

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