The ‘Essential Edition’ of the Western Digital MyBook only has USB2.0, which for me, is fine as I can plug it into any computer I wish. Other editions include Firewire, which of course costs more and not all computers support Firewire.
It has a (fairly long) 3m power cable, a standard USB ... Read review
Advantages: Very easy to use Disadvantages: USB only
The ‘Essential Edition’ of the Western Digital MyBook only has USB2.0, which for me, is fine as I can plug it into any computer I wish. Other editions include Firewire, which of course costs more and not all computers support Firewire.
It has a (fairly long) 3m power cable, a standard USB (type B) cable to connect to the computer and the box itself, that is very simple to set up and to use. The front has a green circle that lights ... ...from that, it is completely black in colour and has no other distinguishing features. It took me 2 minutes to set up and start to use, and that included opening the cardboard packaging!
I decided to buy the 500gb capacity, as I already had another external hard disk which has 320gb, which was completely full. I needed another 500gb as backup and storing extra files. I’m in the middle of converting the vast collection of family videos ... more
The ‘Essential Edition’ of the Western Digital MyBook only has USB2.0, which for me, is fine as I can plug it into any computer I wish. Other editions include Firewire, which of course costs more and not all computers support Firewire.
It has a (fairly long) 3m power cable, a standard USB (type B) cable to connect to the computer and the box itself, that is very simple to set up and to use. The front has a green circle that lights up when switched on and flickers when in use. Apart from that, it is completely black in colour and has no other distinguishing features. It took me 2 minutes to set up and start to use, and that included opening the cardboard packaging!
I decided to buy the 500gb capacity, as I already had another external hard disk which has 320gb, which was completely full. I needed another 500gb as backup and storing extra files. I’m in the middle of converting the vast collection of family videos to DVD and it’s surprising how much space you need to do this. I’ve only a 80gb internal hard disk so an external disk is helpful and can be shared more easily.
The two most impressive things with the MyBook when I opened the box: 1. It’s smaller than I expected it to be, smaller than the size of a realm of A4 paper (much lighter too) and 2. It’s REALLY quiet. There’s no fan, so apart from the circle of green light at the front you wouldn’t have thought it was switched on. My other external drive is pretty quiet but you can hear a faint whirling sound. With the MyBook – no sound at all!
It’s pre-formatted with FAT32, so be careful when copying large files (it has a file size limit of just under 4gb). If you’re using Windows XP or Vista, format it to NTFS. This includes basic compression and security. More importantly, NTFS uses the space on the disk much more efficiently. Warning: NTFS will only work on the latest versions of Windows.
The drive has some ‘free’ software on the drive. Unfortunately, none of it helps you make backups, it’s just Google stuff (desktop, toolbar etc) and an old version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. I wouldn't bother even looking at this if I were you! Delete it!
Like most computer hardware, the speed is only matched by the connection to the computer. Since it uses USB 2.0, you only get USB 2.0 speeds (480Mbps), which for a 7,200rpm hard drive is quite slow, especially if you have a large capacity drive (+100gb). Firewire 800 is much faster but you’re paying for the extra speed too, so there are some questions to ask yourself before buying one of these.
I noticed that it powers down when the computer shuts down and powers back up when the computer is switched on – nice touch! The green circle can be pressed for a few seconds if you really need to turn it off in a hurry, though use the ‘Safely Remove Hardware’ facility, in Windows if you can.
The only serious issue I should mention is that the maximum operating temperature is only 35 degrees, as it has no fan. This means it needs good ventilation. This is particularly important if your computer is situated in a confined place (eg. a box room). I have put mine near a window, just in case. It would be nice if there was a temperature warning light somewhere at the front of the box.
On the whole, the MyBook has almost no drawbacks. The USB 2.0 speed and the temperature warning are the only things I can think of, but they are to be expected. Even the price is very reasonable. A bargain!
orrin31 30.05.2007 (30.05.2007)
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Review of Western Digital My Book Essential Edition WDG1U5000 500 GB
Advantages: Good value for money, very simple to use Disadvantages: Not portable and has a power cable and usb cable
...500gb available.
Produced by Western Digital who are a confirmed producer of storage devices both internal and external, I chose it because of it's confirmed brand and at the time the price was good.
It is a quirky shape in that as the title suggests it is book shaped. To give further guidance it is about the height and width of the paperback edition of the Da Vinci Code and as such fits nicely on a book shelf., obviously without the wiring.
The ... ...it is quite quick and transfers your files easily.
- It is externally powered which means it is faster.
- You can do drag and drop backups if you only want to back up one folder to save time.
- It is good value for money is that it gives you what you want for a reasonable price.
- It is easy to use and will self install on most machines above Windows 2000 (which includes Vista), although drivers for Windows 98 were also available online.
- Unlike ...
Ohajiki 19.11.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Western Digital My Book Essential Edition WDG1U5000 500 GB
Advantages: space, price ease of use Disadvantages: none
I really do love Western Digital hard drives as they deliver great performance and storage at very reasonable prices. This is no exception.
This is a very cool and compact metal-cased storage device that works as well as you would expect from Western Digital, which means phenomenal performance at a great price.
Design
Its presented in a big box, and I was very relieved (and also surprised) to see how small it actually is! At 8cm in width, by 1.5 ... ...on/off button to as on the MyBook western digital range. During powerdown of your computer, the hard disk will automatically turn off, so there is no need to turn it off yourself.
I would thoroughly recommend this product due to its great reliability and very good value for money. ...
thewhitewolf 05.11.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Western Digital My Book Essential Edition WDG1U5000 500 GB
Advantages: Fast, nice design, prevents data loss and corruption Disadvantages: slows down the start up time (unknown reason)
===General===
Western Digital specialises in producing external hard drives therefore their products are of good quality. The My Book Essential offers 500 GB which is more than enough for a standard user (Family usage). You can back up your pictures, videos, documents and programs without running out of space.
===Design===
The HD has a slick design and the shape of a book; it is small - however not small enough to be a portable hard drive. But ... ...the included set up from Western Digital that allows you to manage sync groups and automate backups or update files on the external drive. Based on my personal experience data stored on the drive is really secure! It happened more than once that my friend unplugged the drive while being used - regardless this fact I was happy enough not to lose data or discover that it was corrupted. USB/memory sticks often break down after being accidentally pulled ...
FirstToTry 11.12.2007 (03.07.2008)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Western Digital My Book Essential Edition WDG1U5000 500 GB
Advantages: Lots of space Disadvantages: A bit noist at times
...cover or has it ruined the hard drive system itself. I am very happy with this and all my friends I have spoke to that have external hard mostly have western digital ones as they are very trustworthy and basically reliable to the amount of money you spend on it. ...
ravstar11 09.09.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Western Digital My Book Essential Edition WDG1U5000 500 GB
Advantages: Fast data-transfer (USB 2.0), reliable, nifty look Disadvantages: FAT32 (if chosen, noisy), USB 1.0 (potentially slow)
I bought this on the basis of knowing WD is a reliable brand, and I'm happy to say the results have been solid. I've owned this drive for around 10 months, and usually move large chunks of data around (between PC and drive) without any issues whatsoever. The disk itself is full now, yet it's still as quick and easy to manage as when I first begun using it. There's nothing I can complain about, personally, although if it's formatted as a FAT32 drive ... ...mini washing machine. I use Windows XP, so for me setup was effortless. Plugged it in and it popped up, pre-formatted, and ready to go. The drive will be quite slow if your computer only has USB 1.0 ports, however.
I would recommend this drive to anyone looking for a very cost-effective and nicely-designed solution to backing up their stuff. ...
Eetron 27.09.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Western Digital My Book Essential Edition WDG1U5000 500 GB
Product Information for "Western Digital My Book Essential Edition WDG1U5000 500 GB" »
General
MPN
WDG1U5000E, WDG1U5000, WDG1U5000U
Device Type
Hard drive - external
Width
14.1 cm
Depth
17.1 cm
Height
5.7 cm
Weight
1.3 kg, 1.32 kg
Localisation
Europe
Hard drive
Capacity
500 GB
Interface Type
USB 2.0
Buffer Size
16 MB
Performance
Interface Transfer Rate
480 Mbps
Seek Time
8.9 ms (average)
Track-to-Track Seek Time
2 ms
Average Latency
4.2 ms
Spindle Speed
7200 rpm
Expansion / connectivity
Interfaces
1 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 PIN USB Type B
Miscellaneous
Cables Included
1 x USB cable - USB Type A to B - external - 1.8 m
Compatible with Windows 7
"Compatible with Windows 7" software and devices carry Microsoft’s assurance that these products have passed tests for compatibility and reliability with 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 7.
Compliant Standards
RoHS
Package Type
Retail
Power
Power Source
Included AC adapter
Power Device
Power adapter
Voltage Required
AC 120/230 V ( 50/60 Hz ), AC 120/230 V ( 50 - 60 Hz )
Software / system requirements
Software Included
Google Toolbar, Google Desktop, Google Picasa
OS Required
Microsoft Windows 2000 / XP, Apple MacOS X 10.3 or later, Microsoft Windows Vista
Manufacturer warranty
Service & Support
2 years warranty, 1 year warranty
Service & Support Details
Limited warranty - 2 years, Limited warranty - 1 year
Environmental parameters
Min Operating Temperature
5 °C
Max Operating Temperature
35 °C
Manufacturer's product description
Small, simple, elegant, and very easy to use. Just plug it in, and you've got plenty of room to back up and save your valuable data, music, photos, and movies. The elegant case, iconic of a book, takes up less space on your desk, stacks horizontally, and allows two or more drives to nestle neatly together like volumes on a shelf. SmartPower automatic power on/off and LED activity lights make this drive especially easy to use. Inside the case is an exceptionally fast (7200 RPM spin speed), ultra quiet, cool-running hard drive from WD, of course!
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