ie8 fix
Ad: The Best of Both Phone, and Tablet
ie8 fix

CNET Archive

Find more recent System Hard Drive products

Western Digital My Passport Studio (320GB, Mac) (05/23/2008)

Western Digital My Passport Studio (320GB, Mac)

Entered CNET Catalog: 05/23/2008

SKU: WDMS3200

Manufacturer: Western Digital Corp.

Manufacturer description

Equipped with both FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 interfaces, and formatted for Mac, this portable hard drive features a clever capacity gauge and comes with a soft drawstring bag. It is perfect for Mac users on the go and. Use it to pack up your office files and take them home, carry thousands of songs or pictures and back up your Mac laptop using Apple Time Machine.

Product summary

The goodThe good: Decent performance; bus-powered; capacity gauge works as port cover; Mac OS X-ready; cool and quiet during operation; five-year warranty; low cost per gigabyte.

The badThe bad: No option for external power; no FireWire 800.

The bottom lineThe bottom line: Whether you use a Mac or a PC, the 320GB Western Digital My Passport Studio is the perfect compact external drive with a low cost per GB, a compact design, decent performance, and a surprisingly lengthy warranty.

Average user rating: from 15 users
1.5 stars

Editors' review

  • Editors' Choice: No
  • Reviewed on: 06/12/2008

Add FireWire 800, and the Western Digital My Passport Studio could make for the perfect pocket-size external hard drive. Offering FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 connections, this 320GB drive still impressed us with its compact design, decent capacity and performance, and competitive cost per gigabyte. Western Digital lists it for $210, but it can be found online for less (Buy.com, for example, sells it for $185--for 58 cents per gigabyte). If you don't need the FireWire connection and are looking for something even a little more compact and colorful, the USB-only SimpleTech Signature Mini Black Cherry is a good bet. Moving in the other direction, the OWC Mercury is a bit bulkier and costs slightly more per gigabyte, but it supplies FireWire 800. For those looking for the middle ground, however, Western Digital's 320GB My Passport Studio resides in a sweet spot.

Drive type External hard drive
Connector options FireWire 400, USB 2.0
Available capacities 160GB; 250GB; 320GB
Capacity of test unit 320GB
Drive size 2.5-inch
Drive speed 5400rpm
Cache 8MB
Dimensions (LWH) 4.9 x 3.2 x 0.71 inches
Notable design features Sleek aluminum casing with capacity gauge
OSes supported Windows XP, Vista, Mac OS X
Software included Hard=drive management tool for Mac
Service and Support 5-year warranty

Design and features
As the name suggests, the My Passport Studio has about the same footprint as an actual passport and is about three times thicker. It's also very lightweight at 6.7 ounces. The drive looks somewhat like a book, with a sleek aluminum casing that takes the place of the cover, and black plastic taking the place of the pages.

The My Passport features dual interfaces: FireWire 400 and USB 2.0. It doesn't offer FireWire 800, which is a bit disappointing as this option allows for the highest possible speed for a pocket-size external hard drive. On the plus side, it has a capacity gauge. It's just a ballpark measurement with four blocks that glow white as you gobble up another 80GB of space. And when not in use, the gauge can be slid to the side to cover the ports, protecting them from dust.

The drive ships with two data cables (FireWire 400 and USB 2.0), a quick setup poster, and a velour string purse. The drive is bus-powered. You just have to plug it into a Mac and it works. Preformatted for OS X, the My Passport Studio needs to be reformatted for use with Windows. This is a very simple process that requires a few mouse clicks using Windows' built-in disk-management utility.

The My Passport Studio is the first pocket-size external hard drive that doesn't come with a power port. This means it relies entirely on the power provided by the computer's port. We didn't run into any instances where the drive failed to operate, but we suspect there might be some computers, especially older computers with USB 1.1 ports, that don't provide enough juice to operate the drive. While the chance of the drive not working with your computer is low, if you can, it's a good idea to test the drive with your laptop before purchasing it.

Cost per gigabyte
At $185, the My Passport Studio serves up its 320GB of capacity at a competitive 58 cents per gigabyte, trailing the Maxtor OneTouch 4 Mini by 2 cents.

Model Capacity Est. street price Cost per GB
SimpleTech Signature Mini Black Cherry 320GB $160 56 cents
Maxtor OneTouch 4 Mini 160GB $90 56 cents
WD My Passport Studio 320GB $185 58 cents
Iomega eGo Portable Hard Drive 160GB $100 63 cents
OWC Mercury On-The-Go 500GB $350 70 cents
Toshiba USB 2.0 Portable External HDD 160GB $140 88 cents
G-Tech G-Drive mini Triple (7200RPM) 200GB $270 $1.35

Performance
The WD My Passport Studio performed well in CNET Labs testing. We tested the drive using both USB 2.0 and FireWire 400 connections.

In USB 2.0 testing, the drive topped our charts on our write test scoring 149.12Mbps, narrowly edging the rest of the compact 2.5-inch drives we've tested. Its read score finished in the middle of the tightly grouped pack.

The My Passport Studio's FireWire 400 performance couldn't equal that of the OWC Mercury On-the-Go but far better than the G-Tech G-Drive mini Triple's FireWire 400 throughput. The My Passport Studio's FireWire 400 write speed was 19 percent faster than writing via USB 2.0.

The drive was quiet and stayed very cool during our tests.

Portable hard drive read/write tests
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
Write  
Read  
OWC Mercury On-The-Go (FireWire 400)
181.9 
194.6 
WD My Passport Studio (FireWire 400)
178.1 
170.9 
WD My Passport Studio (USB 2.0)
149.12 
153.4 
SimpleTech Mini Signature Black Cherry (USB 2.0)
147.4 
154.6 
G-Tech G-Drive mini Triple (USB 2.0)
147 
163 
G-Tech G-Drive mini Triple (FireWire 400)
144.5 
149.9 
OWC Mercury On-The-Go (USB 2.0)
138.5 
162.6 

Service and support
Western Digital has a lot of love for the My Passport Studio and backs it up with a generous five-year warranty. This is the longest we've seen for a pocket-size external hard drive. As there's generally not much support needed for external hard drives, the warranty duration is the most valuable support and Western Digital delivers. Nonetheless, the company's technical toll-free phone support is available from 8 a.m. till 7 p.m. CST, Monday through Thursday, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday through Sunday. At its Web site, you will find a comprehensive set of Web-based support including downloads, product RMA, a sizable knowledge base, and an online installation guide.

User opinions

Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
User Rating:
1.5 stars

out of 15 user reviews

Will Never Buy WD Again!

Pros: Small, easy connectibility

Cons: Unreliable - crashed after only 3 months of normal usage, almost lost all of my precious data.

Review: I bought a WD My Passport Essential SE 750 GB unit 3 months ago and loaded all of my precious data (photos, music, documents, videos, etc). Worked fine for a while but then suddenly crashed. File system was lost due to damaged sectors. WD support gave very little help, just wanted to send me to an expensive data recovery company that they endorse. Luckily I was able to save almost all of my files with some FREE software that I found on line. I have my valuable stuff back and now need to find another drive to store them on, but I will NOT buy another WD product!
User Rating:
0.5 stars

out of 15 user reviews

DO NOT PURCHAS

Pros: It is inexpensive.

Cons: It does not work.

Review: After purchasing this product I proceeded to back up my computer and several pin drives to this hard drive. When I went back to access the files from this hard drive I found ALL of my files from my pin drives were gone. When I called the customer service I was not listened to. The first time I called, they ran me through the routine and rushed me off the phone. When that didn?t work, they insisted I had never put any other files on this hard drive. I waited a lot of time trying to figure out how and what happened. Do not waste your time or money buy a better product as I since have.
User Rating:
1.5 stars

out of 15 user reviews

lost 200BGworth of data b/c none of my pcs recognize it

Pros: this is a ***** product, you will loose all your data. you can read around the internet and see how any people are trying to figure out why this device is not recognized by any pc. i bought it 2 mnts ago and now i can't access my 200GB worth of data

Cons: no support from WD. i can't find the reason why this devise is not recognized by none of my computers, not only one but all of them, the same for windows

Review:
User Rating:
0.5 stars

out of 15 user reviews

Two Broken in One Year

Pros: Good Shape - Small.

Cons: Two of these broke with in a year of each other.

Review: The first one I had just stopped working. It stopped being recognized by my computer and made a horrible clicking sound. I lost all of my music, pictures and college papers. WD did have a great return policy and it was easy to get a new one. However, I wish I had not gone through the process of getting a new one because they are pieces of junk! The second one broke and I lost everything again with no warning. It just stopped working one day not even a year after they replaced the first one. You couldn't pay me to put my data on one of these things again!
User Rating:
2.0 stars

out of 15 user reviews

Minimal performer, terrible Mac instructions

Pros: Quiet, small, blue

Cons: Difficult to configure for Mac; can't store data on multiple OS's

Review: The package has both Windows and Mac logos on the box. So I bought it for a backup of my Mac data. But when I plugged it in, I discovered that it simply would not accept my Mac data and there was no explanation in the pdf manual. None. I called technical support, who told me that the unit requires that I create a partition on my hard drive for the unit - a multi-step, non-intuitive process. What??? When I told support that this was not mentioned anywhere on the box or in the instructions, the tech guy (falsely) told me, "It's right there on the back of the box!" I patiently read everything "on the back of the box" to him, but he kept insisting, as though I were a not terribly bright five year-old. Well, in very, very small, tiny print on the top flap, it does mention that the drive "requires reformatting for OSX Tiger or Leopard." Thanks a lot. And the interface they brag about on the box? Doesn't exist in Mac. And if you want to also store your Windows XP pro data that your Mac has stored on its Win partition? Forget it! You just formatted it for your Mac only. This thing isn't worth the money.
User Rating:
1.5 stars

out of 15 user reviews

Not as easy or as friendly to use

Pros: It has plenty of memory-320gigs.

Cons: When I plug it in, it does not offer me easy and friendly access to use it. I am not a tech, I'm just like the other 99% of users out there. I need easy, friendly operation. I want it to open up a window like a browser, on any computer, and help me.

Review: I think I said it all above. It is not friendly. When I plug in my MP3, it responds very friendly, this Passport does not. I fish around trying to find out how to open it up. I realize that when I hook it up to other computers, it asks me questions. I don't want questions, I want just what I get when I plug in my flash disks and MP3s: quick easy access and the option to drag and drop information at will...and I want the other stuff like protection, too.
User Rating:
0.5 stars

out of 15 user reviews

TEMPERATURE PROBLEM

Pros: NOT GOOD BECAUSE I PAY 50$ MORE TO USE FIRE WIRE 800 CABLE

Cons: FREEZ WITH MAC

Review: I had bought one of this product, listen the history then try to bye it:
1. 11 sep 2009 i had one.
after one hour it gone to be self disconnected, hanged after 20gb file transfer, and doesn't matched with time machine.
2. 12 sep 2009 get help from apple & DW
3. 13 sep apple send me some non useful information.
4. 15 sep DW sent me new link for new driver, but problem existed.
5. 16 sep gone to DW guaranty.
6. 19 sep they changed my device.
7. problem exist whit new device
8. i use a new cooling system under storage.

what you think:

every thing work with fire wire 800 with out problem.
result: DW calculation for heat transferring is fail.
User Rating:
0.5 stars

out of 15 user reviews

Failed within 5 months

Pros: it was small and seemed to travel well

Cons: Stopped working after 5 months. Company warranty sucks and did not cover recovery. It cost me $700 dollars to recover wedding pictures I had tried to store - thank god I got them back. This is a very untrustworthy product.

Review: Stay away, you don't want to take the chance.
User Rating:
1.0 stars

out of 15 user reviews

Dead in 3 months

Pros: Small and compact.

Cons: It died in 3 months. It failed at its most important function...to store data.

Review: I would not buy again. Reliability is everything. My Western Digital drive failed. Enough said.
User Rating:
2.0 stars

out of 15 user reviews

LOTSA SPACE; BUT VERY UNRELIABLE; BROKEN IN 5 WEEKS

Pros: LOTS of space; brilliant for storing games; superb for backup

Cons: BUT IT WAS BROKEN IN ONLY 5 WEEKS
Needs an extra power supply if you use a USB hub (like me!) which'll eventually crashed by either 2 much voltage or your dog tripping over it
Unreliable workiness on XP laptops due to lack of power: unsafe removal

Review: Basically, this is the xBox360 of external harddrives: it looks awesome, there's alot of space, and there's thousands of things to do with it, BUT HOWEVER, then it breaks VERY easily and it's a hassle to repair. In short, DON'T "put your life on it" like the box tells you to. The info on the packaging is quite misleading in this respect.
User Rating:
1.5 stars

out of 15 user reviews

Unsure of Reliability

Pros: Very small and works like a dream when it does work.

Cons: Very unreliable, after looking online I've read about a lot of people who cannot mount the drive after some time (usually when the warranty dies) or they have to format to get it to work again! Eeeesh!!

Review: I just bought the bugger about 3 months ago and I've been using it to store my DSLR photo overflow from my laptop (macbook pro). I leave it in my desk and it worked great. I would periodically take the drive to my iMac and work with files, but lately the iMac cannot read the drive AT ALL, nothings changed and I'm scared it might happen to my laptop as well.
User Rating:
5.0 stars

out of 15 user reviews

excellent, easy, no criticism

Pros: Perfect operation, quiet, no problems

Cons: Nothing at all!

Review: Beautifully simple, functional, 100/100
User Rating:
5.0 stars

out of 15 user reviews

Love these Drives!

Pros: I currently have 5 of these puppies. They run and run and run. Plenty of space for data and app storage, and work well for backups, too.

Cons: No external power.
No Firewire 800.
Should be armored (rubberized) against shock.
Connection cable way too short.
Better padded cases.
Indicator to tell when drive is 'disconnectable."

Review: Always a fan of Western Digital. With the increased no-hassle warranty against problems and such, plus a decent cost, they are small enough to keep a few around just in case they're needed. Picked up mine at my local warehouse store for $139.99 (whoa! they're $15 off that right now!)
User Rating:
2.0 stars

out of 15 user reviews

Broken in 90-days

Pros: The drive is small therefore takes up almost no desk space. No power source needed and very quite.

Cons: It lasted just about 90-days and went south on me. Unfortunately, I purchased it at Best Buy and it was a real hassle getting my money back. I would not buy another. All my backup was gone.

Review: An inexpensive, small means of storage but not worth the money.
User Rating:
4.0 stars

out of 15 user reviews

Fast and portable storage

Pros: Small size; lightning quick data transfer via Firewire; no separate power cable needed

Cons: Proprietary cable needs improved design

Review: For my Macbook Pro, the WD My Passport Studio 320GB is a great way to store lots of files. The design of the WD-MPS 320 matches the MBP with it's silver case, and the small size--it's about the size of a wallet--makes it easy to stow and carry along.

I use mine for video file storage. I plug my camcorder into the Mac, start up iMovie and import the footage off the DV tape, then unplug the camera and plug in the My Passport Studio. I can move the new footage from my hard drive to the Passport drive, and iMovie treats the Passport drive just as it does the the Mac's hard drive, making it simple to pull from up to 320 GB of video clips.

On the down side, the Passport's proprietary cable is short and difficult to keep plugged in on the Passport side, with it's mini-USB and Firewire 400 plugs on seperate cables, yet molded together about 6"/15 cm from the plugs. On mine, one of the plugs must be twisted slightly when inserted, and one of the leads is a little longer then the other. Since they're fused together the tendency is for the shorter lead to come unplugged, not a good thing when doing data transfer. Also, if you lose the cable or leave it behind, you'll need to be prepared with an extra on since you can't pick one up just anywhere.

All in all, though, the Passports small size, huge storage and ease of use makes it a great product.

Updated on Sep 13, 2009

BUYER BEWARE! I'm updating my review; I didn't know I would need to get a replacement cable for my WD My Passport Studio 320Gb for Mac, but I did foresee possible problems owing to the proprietary nature of the interface cable. Now I'm a victim. After waiting a couple of weeks for the cable, listed as "Out of Stock" on WD Store's website, I called their support line and explained that I needed to get a cable since my Macbook Pro was using WD's MPS for Time Machine backups. I was told they would get one out to me right away ("Hmm...I thought they were out of stock.") As you may have guessed I was sent the wrong cable and now, months later, the cable is still listed as "out of stock." So unless you want your portable storage to last only as long as the cable lasts (my didn't last but a few months), I'd stay away from this one.

About CNET Archive

Welcome to the CNET Archive, a library of product reviews, user opinions, videos, specifications, and manufacturer descriptions for products no longer offered by the manufacturer or most retailers. Here you will find information on replacement parts and replacement ink cartridges. Read what others had to say about that used laptop you are considering buying. Take a trip down memory lane as you browse and reminisce about your favorite old video game or that first digital camera.

Western Digital My Passport Studio (320GB, Mac) specifications

ie8 fix
Click Here
ie8 fix
  • Recently Viewed Products
  • My Lists
  • My Software Updates
  • Promo
  • Log In | Join CNET