Western Digital WD Elements 1.5 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive
by Western Digital
(Click here)
Customers in the UK,
buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: Western DigitalModel: WDE1UBK15000N
Product features:
- Plain and simple add-on storage
- AmazonBasics IEEE 1394 4-Pin/6-Pin FireWire Cable (6 Feet/1.8 Meters)
- AmazonBasics Ultra-High-Speed HDMI Cable Braided (9.8 Feet/3.0 Meters)
- AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI Cable (6.5 Feet/2.0 Meters)[Supports 3D + Audio Return Channel][OLD MODEL]
- AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI Braided Cable (6.5 Feet/2.0 Meters)
- AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI Cable (9.8 Feet/3.0 Meters) [Supports 3D + Audio Return Channel]
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Western Digital WD Elements 1.5 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive
Customer Review: Sturdy, spacious, durable and in rubber boots!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was originally going to get a 1.5TB Seagate drive from WallyWorld until I saw the buzz on this drive at Amazon. For the same price I'm getting a 1.5TB drive in a black metal case with removable/replaceable rubber boots that slide securely onto the ends of the drive.
While I'm not expecting a fast drive due to the USB 2.0 interface it has a usable capacity of 1.38TB. When getting an encryption estimate via TrueCrypt it would take about 2 days to encrypt using three chained algorithms (AES-Twofish-Serpent). So I figure I'll rig it to my desktop while I'm at work so that it can be secured.
But the huge selling point for the drive is that it's encased in a black matte metal enclosure with two plastic end pieces providing ventilation, the blue LED light and the ports for the power and USB connections. The drive does have the feel of a metal brick while having a truly spartan yet elegant design.
As for the ports it has a USB 2.0 Type-B connection and a 12V port. The drive ships with both the USB Type-B to Type-A cable and the 12V power adapter. It would've been nice if the drive drew less power so that it could rely upon a 5V power supply and run off the USB bus. So the drive isn't very portable since it does need to be tethered to a power outlet. More than likely this is a standard 3.5" form factor with all other necessary interfaces hidden away within its enclosure (the drive has an adhesive seal that, if broken, voids the warranty so I won't be able to peek into the drive at the moment). The enclosure itself is bolted together with flush-mounted Phillips-head screws on the bottom of the drive.
Still, for archival backups and a very solid metal design, this is the best deal at the moment for 1.38TB of storage. I'll revise my review if the drive unexpectedly dies. I'm still pleased with this drive so far that I may buy two more and hook a friend up with one.
UPDATE 2009-12-01:
This all-metal model is now out of stock. It's a shame though because it is by far superior to the newer plastic-encased model. I'm glad to have bought another one before it went out of stock.
I read some reviews of similar 1.5TB WD external drives and I feel much better in this purchase. The drive does not come with any additional software or a driver CD-ROM. It was pure Plug'n'Play bliss on both my desktop and netbook systems. The desktop runs Win-XP pro and the netbook runs Win-XP Home. Both systems recognized the drive with no problems at all. There's something nice about checking out the free space and having all that free space available.
Aside from the base-10 space marketing of this drive it is what it is. There are no hidden partitions or even any proprietary software to install. Use your favorite file manager and just copy to and from the drive.
I've mentioned the slow TrueCrypt time estimate. For full disclosure that estimate was taken from my Acer netbook the drive was attached to at the time. The processor in my desktop rig is much more powerful though I have to do some benchmarking from it in regards to comparing raw TrueCrypt processing on it versus the Acer netbook. If that's the case then then USB 2.0 throughput in regards to encryption is the lesser of bottlenecks to be found.
Needless to say I'm very pleased with this drive. I only wish there were more of them in stock.
UPDATE 12-07-2009:
I was able to encrypt the drive completely with TrueCrypt via my desktop. Due to the mechanics and the crypto overhead (AES-Twofish-Serpent) it took 32 hours to encrypt. But then it is 1.36TB of space. Right now I'm copying files from the unencrypted 1.36TB drive to the encrypted one. It's gonna take a while over those USB 2.0 ports. ;-)
These drives do stack nicely. The rubber boots really do keep them stable and allow the air to flow around them. These are classic drives. They will be missed...until I find another reseller. :-)
Description of Western Digital WD Elements 1.5 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive
Are you running out of hard drive capacity? Do you need to archive some important digital documents, photos, or music? This elegant external hard drive, is the perfect solution. Gain instant storageProduct Features Easy to set up, easy to use - Installation is a snap because you don't really install this drive, you just plug it in and it's ready to use. USB 2.0 interface - A simple connection that offers convenience and compatibility among multiple computers.Digital Cameras and Photo Categories