WD's My Book Pro Edition external hard drive with triple interface combines three leading external hard drive interfaces (FireWire 800, FireWire 400, and USB 2.0) on one drive for... more
This review already contains more than 120 words. As a Ciao member you could earn up to £5 with this review.
A review by Jon_Farrimond on Western Digital My Book Pro Edition WDG1T5000 500 GB January 9th, 2007
Author's product rating:
Advantages:
Fast, nice to look at, easy to use
Disadvantages:
Ummmm, the pro version is only available in white?
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
As information for those who don't know, this is an external storage device. Basically that means that inside the device is a hard disc drive for storing your data and it connects to your computer via either USB or firewire (all types). There is lots of information about the device that need explaining.
Firstly it can store up to 500Gb's of information in what is known as raw format. When you format the device to make it compatible with your computer you will only be able to store 465Gb's. This is because the device needs a file allocation table which is a directory of all the information on the drive. It takes up lots of space but the device is useless without it.
The speed of the actual hard drive used inside doesn't actually matter that much. The speeds at which hard drives can exchange data is far greater that the firewire 800 (the fastest external communication method) can move data anyway, so when deciding about buying one of these you really need to decide what is the fastest connection your computer can manage. The Pro version takes advantage of firewire 400 and 800 and unless you have firewire 800 on your PC there is no point in buying this device you may as well go for the non-pro version and save a few pounds.
I use mine as just some more storage really, its fast enough for me to play videos from it and move large files around quickly. Its very handy for backing up data and is easily attached to other peoples computers, since it has USB and firewire you will never have any compatibility problems. However it does need external power to function so be aware you will need an extra socket to use it.
I think this is worth the money, its cheaper than its competition and just as reliable and fast. Obviously its muck more expensive that buying an internal hard drive but also more convenient for some applications.
Oh and as an after thought, it looks good too.
More Reviews
Brilliant Review ofWestern Digital My Book Pro Edition WDG1T5000 500 GBby
thecooldude
Advantages: Compact Size, Quiet, Not an Eye-Sore Disadvantages: Not in Black
Basic information , its a 500GB hard drive which actually stores 465GB of data due to the method in which storage is calculated. Very Easy to install and get it up and running.
Interface : Firewire 400, USB 2.0 and Firewire 800, in increasing order of data transfer rate.
Firewire will give you a more sustained rate of transfer as compared to the burst in rates of USB. I use it on USB due to lack of firewire on my laptop, but if you can use Firewire ... ...be very sturdy,I havent personally tested it out :P , my only complaint is that it is not available in black like the other drives. Another thing to remember that it has a power brick, but its not very big so it should not be a big problem .
There is a Blue light in front as visible in the picture is infact a button as well( i dint realise it right away, only when i accidently pressed it did i realise what the thing was).
It is a very compact drive, ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Looks good - easy set-up, triple interface, quick transfers Disadvantages: Poor back up software
This is a triple interface external hard drive...really easy to set up out of the box. It comes with the wires to connect to USB 2.0, Firewire 400 and 800 - two ports (supposed to have really quick transfer times with the 800 interface). I am running Mac OSX 10.4.9 and just plugged in the drive to my computer, the icon appeared on the desktop - installed the button software and all was up and running. The only downside is the included Retrospect ... ...the package.
The transfer times are pretty good, I use the Firewire 400 and 500MB files are copied in a minute or so. There is a blue light on the front that will show the status of the drive - this is also the on and off switch. The size is perfect, like a large book and it sits next to my Powerbook and blends in perfectly - my unit is a silvery colour.
All-in-all a great hard drive....very happy. ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Interface Transfer Rate: 800Mbps(FireWire800)/400Mbps(FireWire)/480Mbps(Hi-Sp.USB)
Seek Time: 8.9 ms (average)
Track-to-Track Seek Time: 2 ms
Average Latency: 4.2 ms
Spindle Speed: 7200 rpm
Power
Power Source: Included AC adapter
Power Device: Power adapter
Voltage Required: AC 120/230 V ( 50 - 60 Hz )
Manufacturer's product description
WD's My Book Pro Edition external hard drive with triple interface combines three leading external hard drive interfaces (FireWire 800, FireWire 400, and USB 2.0) on one drive for maximum performance and universal connectivity. Designed to work on both Macintosh computers and PCs, this drive includes powerful EMC Retrospect Express backup and recovery software, and a unique Capacity Gauge LED.
SUMMARY
The Western Digital (WD) My Book Premium 500GB is a small, well built external hard drive which is quiet in operation, with excellent capacity and choice of USB 2 or Firewire connectivity. As someone who is interested in technology,... more
This hard drive is very similar in look and feel to the other Passport versions that Western Digital has, in particular the Book with a glowing blue circle that is very nice to look at and quite heavy to boot.
I needed another external harddrive as my... 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... more
This hard drive is very similar in look and feel to the other Passport versions that Western Digital has, in particular the Book with a glowing yellow circle that is very nice to look at and quite heavy to boot.
I needed another external harddrive as... more
Related tags for Western Digital My Book Pro Edition WDG1T5000 500 GB
Similar products and search queries by other users
Western WDG1T5000, Western Digital WDG1T5000, Western My WDG1T5000, Western Book WDG1T5000, Western Pro WDG1T5000, Western Edition WDG1T5000, Western Digital My WDG1T5000, Western Digital Book WDG1T5000, Western Digital Pro WDG1T5000, Western Digital Edition WDG1T5000, Western My Book WDG1T5000, Western My Pro WDG1T5000, Western My Edition WDG1T5000, Western Book Pro WDG1T5000, Western Book Edition WDG1T5000
Are you the manufacturer / provider of Western Digital My Book Pro Edition WDG1T5000 500 GB? Click here
