Almost But Not Quite: a Guide to Western Digital 500GB Hard Drives
The first thing you’ll notice about reviews for Western Digital 500GB hard drives is that Western Digital users are Western Digital fans and this is no mean feat for any company. The positive comments are fulsome and easily outweigh the negative remarks which tend to be of that variety which are less complaints rather than suggestions for improvements.
Among the negative, most fall into that category of advice to Western Digital to upgrade their customer service. This particularly references the paucity of information on their website and the ambiguous terminology used by tech support though there is room to infer that the latter may be deliberate in lieu of long and complex explanations. While making these observations, however, reviewers also point out that a lack of website information is of little account while their devices are working effectively and that the long and complex explanations are easily available online if users take the time to Google for solutions.
Some observations swing both ways, reflecting the preferences of the user rather than the adequacy of the device’s features. With regard to the 500GB Western Digital My Book for example, one reviewer noted that its fatter, bulkier construction took up precious office space while another considered the greater weight a virtue because, unlike its lightweight rivals, it didn’t get pushed around the desk but stayed where it was put.
Positives for the My Book range include such features as the on/off facility that automatically synchronizes with the on/off modes on your PC. This means that, unlike other hard drives, the 500GB Iomega My Book has no hard power button that stays on until manually switched off. The device also has a power-saver feature in that it will go into sleep mode until needed.
The original 500GB Western Digital My Passport was a big hit with fans, lauded for its tiny size, very light weight, quiet drive and secure USB connectivity. Later models, however, introduced Smartware software which caused an influx of negative responses and one has to wonder, along with Western Digital fans, what the company was thinking. As one reviewer noted, “If you want the poster child for how to “update” a very good product into something that is virtually unusable, this would be it”.
To their credit, Western Digital quickly responded to the criticism by providing a FAQ on their web site that explained how to disable the smartware option. Future models, however, would be better off without the smartware software as a compulsory feature and a FAQ on their website explaining how to install it if desired.
In conclusion, Western Digital 500GB hard drives almost got it right but then went too far in a case of trying to please all of its consumers all of the time by providing all smartware software as standard. They will be better served in the future by following a different motto: less is more.
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WD Unveils First 4TB External Hard Drive!
WD , the world’s leader in external storage solutions, today introduced its new 4 terabyte capacity My Book Studio Edition II dual-drive storage systems, which are designed to seamlessly work with Mac computers and provide an ideal blend of high performance and power conservation. The new My Book Studio Edition II dual-drive storage systems are available now at select retailers and the WD online store (http://www.shopwd.com).
Compatible with Apple Time Machine automatic backup feature and formatted for Mac computers[1], the new 4 TB My Book Studio Edition II external storage system’s dual-drive RAID 0 configuration and high-speed interfaces deliver high performance for creative professionals, workgroups, small offices and anyone looking for fast data transfer. The system offers four interfaces: eSATA and FireWire 800 for maximum performance as well as FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 for maximum flexibility. The eco-friendly[2] system uses WD’s hard drives with WD GreenPower Technology for power savings and cool and quiet operation.
“Whether in the studio, at home, or on the road, I backup all my photographs and files on WD drives,” says Peter Read Miller, a staff photographer for Sports Illustrated magazine. “I use the My Book Studio II drive and WD ShareSpace network drive at home and in the studio and always have at least one My Passport portable drive when I’m on the road. The bottom line is they’re safe, fast and reliable. In my business I need to rely on products that will protect my livelihood. WD’s line of products perform that task exceptionally well,” Miller added.
“The new My Book Studio Edition II is the best choice for creative professionals who require massive capacity and extra-fast performance,” said Dale Pistilli, vice president of marketing for WD’s branded products group. “With 4 terabytes of capacity, photographers, graphic artists, videographers, and home video enthusiasts alike will have the space they need to store hours of high definition videos as well as the performance they need for demanding video editing applications.”
Extra-fast Performance with RAID 0
Lightning-fast eSATA or FireWire 800 interfaces combined with RAID 0 (Striped) yields the speed users’ need for: fast, smooth video editing; rendering complex 3D objects or special effects; and saving huge blocks of data in record time. With RAID 0, users can have 4 TB of storage in an elegant, small footprint design that offers plenty of room to store an entire digital photo library and hundreds of hours of HD movies or digital video (results will vary based on file size and format, settings, features, software and other factors).
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Lightweight,memory foam moulded case suitable for Western Digital My Passport Ultra Edition portable hard drives 160gb, 250gb, 320gb, 500gb, 750gb & 1TB (Model Numbers beginning with WDBAAA). Durable, semi-rigid EVA material offers excellent protection. Internal pocket inside allowing usb cable to be stored. NOT Suitable for model numbers WDXME1600TE, WDME2500TE, WDME2500, WDME3200TE, WDME5000TE.
Rating: (out of 1 reviews)
Price: £4.99
With foam padding for maximum protection during transport- Main compartment with inner divider and strap- Front pocket for various accessories- With handle and adjustable shoulder strap- Dimensions: W: 26.0 x D: 21.5 x H: 7.5 cm- Inside dimensions: 24.0 x 18.0 x 4.5 cm
Price: £12.99
Western Digital 500GB SATA WD5000AADS. As hard drive capacities increase, the power required to run those drives increases as well. WD Caviar Green drives make it possible for energy-conscious customers to build systems with higher capacities and the right balance of system performance, ensured reliability, and energy conservation.
Price: £36.95
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Seagate 1.5 Terabyte and ½ Terabyte Hard Drives – Seagate 1.5 Tb Desktop and ½ Tb Notebook Hard Drives
Seagate presents next generation of computing with their massive Barracuda 7200.11 1.5 TB and Momentus 1/2 TB storage hard drives, including world’s first 1.5 Terabyte desktop PC and half Terabyte notebook/laptop hard drives to meet the explosive worldwide demand for digital-content storage in home and business environments.
1.5 Terabyte Desktop Hard Disk Drive
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11, the first 1.5 terabyte desktop hard drive to hit the market. The debut of the Barracuda® 7200.11 1.5TB hard drive,a half-terabyte increase from the previous highest capacity of 1TB is the eleventh generation of Seagateâs drive for desktop PCs, marks the single largest capacity hard drive jump in the more than half-century history of hard drives.
Technical DetailsThe Barracuda 7200.11 hard drive combines the capacity and speed required for todayâs most demanding desktop PC applications. The drive packs 1.5TB on just four platters and its fast Serial ATA 3Gb/second interface delivers an industry-leading sustained data rate of up to 120MB/second for fast boot, application startup and file access. The 3.5-inch drive is also offered in capacities of 1TB, 750GB, 640GB, 500GB, 320GB and 160GB with cache options of 32MB and 16MB.
The Barracuda 7200.11 hard drive combines proven PMR technology, components and expert manufacturing to provide 1.5TB of reliable storage for mainstream desktop computers, workstations, desktop RAID, gaming and high-end PCs, and USB/FireWire/eSATA external storage.
½ Terabyte Notebook PC Drive
Seagateâs 2.5-inch half-terabyte 5400- and 7200-rpm drives.Momentus® 5400.6 and Momentus 7200.4 deliver the best combination of capacity, mobility and durability for mainstream and high-performance notebook computers, external storage solutions, PCs and industrial applications requiring small form factor.
Technical Details
Momentus 5400.6 and Momentus 7200.4 hard drives are the fourth generation of Seagateâs laptop family to use PMR. The Momentus 5400.6, a 5400-rpm drive, combines a powerful Serial ATA 3Gb/second interface and capacities ranging from 120GB to 500GB with an 8MB cache. The Momentus 7200.4 hard drive, with its 7200-rpm spin speed and a Serial ATA 3GB/second interface, delivers true desktop performance.
Shock Resistance
Both Momentus drives are built tough enough to resist up to 1,000 Gs of non-operating shock and 350 Gs of operating shock to protect drive data, making the drives ideal for systems that are subject to rough handling or high levels of vibration. For added robustness in mobile environments, the Momentus 5400.6 and 7200.4 are offered with G-Force Protection, a free-fall sensor technology that helps prevent drive damage and data loss upon impact if a laptop PC is dropped. The sensor works by detecting any changes in acceleration equal to the force of gravity and parks the heads off the disc to prevent contact with the platter in a free fall of as little as 8 inches and within 3/10ths of a second.
Power Efficient
Seagateâs new Momentus drives are low on power consumption, allowing notebook users to work longer between battery charges, and are virtually inaudible thanks to Seagateâs innovative SoftSonic fluid-dynamic bearing motors and QuietStep ramp load technology.
Warranty
All Momentus and Barracuda drives are backed by Seagateâs leading five-year warranty.
I am an active blogger and technology enthusiast and my special areas of interest are computer hardware diagnostics, networking technologies and the use of softwares and OS used in the latest gadgets and communication devices. You can read more about my findings and ramblings on my blog at http://www.getpcmemory.com and via email at brianhopkin[at]googlemail[dot com]
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Kit Contents: USB 2.0 external hard drive USB cable AC adapter Quick Install Guide Designed with the same commitment to quality that made WD external drives the number one drives in the world, Western Digital’s WD Elements USB 2.0 external hard drives are the right answer for simply affordable add-on storage. Just plug it in to a USB port and start saving your photos, music, video, and files. Technical Specifications: Capacity: 1TB. Interface: USB 2.0. Dimensions: 36 X 179 X 116 mm. Weight: 1.02
Price: £69.95
Simple USB 2.0 interface; just plug and playThe Iomega© Prestige Desktop Hard Drive USB 2.0 provides a simple and affordable solution for all your storage needs. Ideal for adding capacity, this stylish and durable drive offers a sturdy aluminum construction and included stand. Available in 500GB and 1TB capacities, the Prestige Desktop Hard Drive is powered by an Energy Star© qualified adapter for a better environment.FeatureProduct FeaturesDisk driveHard disk drive capacity1000GB InternalN Ha
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