500GB Elements External USB 2.0 7200 Rpm 3.5IN 8.9MS

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500gb elements external usb 2.0 7200 rpm 3.5in 8.9ms

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500GB Elements External USB 2.0 7200 Rpm 3.5IN 8.9MS

Form Factor - 3.5"-External
Dimensions WxDxH - 124.68 x 36.14 x 203.82 mm
Weight - 1.02 kg
Physical Dimensions (W x L x H):
-- 4.90 (+/- 0.010 inch) x 1.42 (Max) x 8.02 (Max) Inches/ 124.68 x 36.14 (Max) x 203.82 (Max) mm

List Price: $186.76
Lowest Price: $97.99

Product Description:

Preformatted and ready to go, WD Elements USB 2.0 external hard drives make it possible to add reliable, high capacity storage instantly to your PC or Macintosh computer. PC or Macintosh.

Customer Reviews:

Rating:
Date: 2008-06-30
Easy to use
The external hard drive was smaller than I had expected and it was easier to hook up as well. Following the instructions on the screen made the whole process of downloading quick and easy. I found it a good value and I am glad to have my computer backed up at last.

Rating:
Date: 2008-04-16
NOT the product pictured here.
The product shown above has an on/off switch, but the unit I received did not. Nor did the replacement item that Amazon quickly sent. I kept it, though, because the price was low and it's basically silent. I'm docking it one star for not matching up with the product photos.

Rating:
Date: 2008-01-16
You Get What You Pay For ...
One thing you have to remember when purchasing an item, and subsequently reviewing it, is that you get what you pay for. I bought this drive for $100 in an online auction and it is also relatively cheap elsewhere, which it was designed to be.

This hard drive has its positive and negative aspects, but all-in-all you get what you pay for. I'll start with what I like about it.

The rubber grips on each end are terrific, and provide a firm placement on whatever surface you put it on. The on/off switch is also a big plus, and as odd as that may seem, I have other external hard drives that do not have that simple luxury. On a far less important note, it looks good and sure beats the bright pink lights on one of my other** WD drives.

As for the downsides, the drive is probably my slowest - and I own more than 10. It also gives me I/O errors every now and then, sometimes randomly without cause, other times because (apparently) the data being transferred is just too much for it to handle. To solve these, I simply hit the on/off switch and reset it. Nonetheless, this can be inconvenient if you are in the middle of something, especially if the computer is unattended at the time of the error.

With all that being said, this is a great economical solution to your storage needs. I would not depend on it as a primary drive and would rather depend on it more for backing-up data and just for some extra space. If you can get it for the price I did, you really can't go wrong.

** http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-FireWire-Combo-Drive/dp/B0000DK69V