It all depends on what you are planning on using it for. In all honesty, not everyone is going to need a 500gb external hard drive. However, when you begin to consider how much abuse you put your personal computer through on a daily basis, you may start realizing just how much you may require such a device, but there are a few things you must consider before you head our your door!
The first thing is obvious: what do you do? If you are a photographer, then you are most definitely going to require a 500gb external hard drive, no questions asked! Your portfolios are going to be rather extensive when compared to the average image editor. You will have enhanced photos, projects that have more than one file, portraying both the final and the rough drafts. All in all, if you are a photographer, frankly, I am surprised you haven’t purchased a 500gb external hard drive yet. However, if you are like me… a writer, then a 500gb external hard drive may be a little overkill. I have been writing off and on over the past ten years, and the amount of files I have accumulated have not even come near exceeding my personal computer space. Text files are very much different from digital picture files by megabytes. All I own is a simple 10gb external hard drive, and that will continue to serve my needs for years to come.
The second thing that you must consider is whether or not you will need to carry your files to other locations. A 500gb external hard drive offers your files the ability to be transported from one location to another, especially of the hard drive carries with it the USB 2.0 connection interface feature! This feature allows your hard drive to be connected to any personal computer, receive power and start linking with the system to which it has been connected. This is just one of the many features that the 500gb external hard drive may offer users, however, that solely depends on which brand you purchase.
According to the information presented to you above, you should be able to extrapolate whether or not purchasing such an extensive external hard drive would be necessary. By examining your daily file creation and storage necessity, you will be able to determine rather quickly whether or not a 500gb external hard drive is required within your home office system and, more importantly, whether or not you will be able to come close to using everything that you have paid for. We all know that in today’s world, saving money is one of the more important things families can do right now. That said, there is such a thing as spending your way into poverty. These drives can cost anywhere between $50.00 to $100.00 more than your average external hard drive, and if you are not in true dire need of a large capacity, then why spend the money on something that will never be used?
Food for thought…
Filed under External Hard Drives Articles by on Jan 24th, 2010. Comment. 
The Western Digital Passport Essential 500GB Portable Hard Drive provides an astonishing 500 GB external storage capability, powered and connected through a 2.0 USB connection interface.
The Ultra Portable exterior design offers users the ability to relocation their Western Digital Passport Essential 500GB Portable Hard Drive unit to any personal computer through its small, easily pocketed design.
Actual Customer Comments:
A portion of an actual customer review found on amazon.com
“Great!”
A portion of an actual customer review found on newegg.com
“Perfect”
A portion of an actual customer review found on shopping.aol.com
Based solely on the more recently posted customer reviews, the new Western Digital Passport Essential 500GB Portable Hard Drive truly does provide the service Western Digital initially projected to their clientele. One customer stated that the Western Digital Passport Essential 500GB Portable Hard Drive is actually one of the only external hard drives that came close to offering a “perfect” service as an office accessory. Another customer stated that it was the overall price of the unit that intrigued him initially, that is, until he plugged it in and noticed how well it worked. The only negative thing that was mentioned with the customer reviews was how the Western Digital Passport Essential 500GB Portable Hard Drive has been known to become a little sluggish over the course of time.
To summarize: customers have been stating that the Western Digital Passport Essential 500GB Portable Hard Drive provides everything that Western Digital claimed it would, however, the system itself has been known, though with only a few of the customers, to become a little sluggish, even stop working after a year or so.
The verdict:
Average. Though the majority of the customers have been offering their praises for the new Western Digital Passport Essential 500GB Portable Hard Drive, there are customers suggesting that it would be better to “stay away” from this particular unit due to the potential system slow down / break down down the road.
Order your Western Digital Passport Essential 500GB Portable Hard Drive Here!
Product Details:
Name: Western Digital Passport Essential 500GB Portable Hard Drive
Company Name: Western Digital
Product Information: 500 GB of external memory, USB 2.0 interface, Ultra Portable external design for easy relocation / transport, Powered by USB connection for Maximum Power Saving.
Filed under Western Digital by on Jan 26th, 2010. Comment.
The new Western Digital Elements 1TB External Hard Drive has been specifically designed to last the course of time! The unit’s exterior shell was derived from an Aluminum base, providing the maximum level of safety / security for the external hard drive within it. In order to deliver higher quality hardware, Western Digital has developed a 1 TB hard drive within their Elements model, capable of storing digital photos, music files and document backup storage.
Powered through a 2.0 USB connection interface, the Western Digital Elements 1TB External Hard Drive also cuts back on energy usage, lessening our overall impact on our surrounding environment.
Actual Customer Comments:
A portion of an actual customer review found on amazon.com
“my books have been having power up probs”
A portion of an actual customer review found on reviews.cnet.com
“Western Digital My book external hard drives works fine, it’s quiet…”
A portion of an actual customer review found on reviews.digitaltrends.com
The customers have been posted their reactions over the Western Digital Elements 1TB External Hard Drive lately and all of them seem to point towards an overall positive mention. One customer stated that their new Western Digital Elements 1TB External Hard Drive has proven to be the most “efficient” external hard drive he has ever owned, suggesting that both the quality and the quantity was exactly what he was looking for. Another customer, however, not only praised the Western Digital Elements 1TB External Hard Drive but also stated a few frustrations dealing with the unit. He said that his unit started to become extremely difficult to access through the USB connection, saying that though power seemed to be running through the USB connection, his files were hard to reach using the software provided.
The verdict:
Excellent. Based on the customer reviews recently posted, the majority of the Western Digital Elements 1TB External Hard Drive users have been experiencing what they were hoping to experience. One customer commented on how “quiet” their unit was, even to the point of forgetting that it was on his desk. Another customer said the same thing, and even took it a step further, saying that the price of the unit is also something that drew him in.
Product Details:
Name: Western Digital Elements 1TB External Hard Drive
Company Name: Western Digital
Website: www.wdc.com
Product Information: External Hard Drive compatible with both Microsoft and Macintosh Operating Systems, USB powered, Aluminum casing for maximum safety and hard drive security, 1 TB of digital photos, files and music storage.
Price: $100.00
Filed under Western Digital by on Jan 26th, 2010. Comment.
If you would, join me in a little adventure:
You walk into a store, immediately heading to the electronics department. There, you find a long line of external hard drives. You begin asking yourself, “Which one would be the better choice?” Glancing over the long list of features beside each brand, each model of external hard drive there is – all of them are offering the same things as the rest, making your decision difficult. Before you know it, you have spent far too long trying to decide which one, causing you to get extremely frustrated. This, however, can all be avoided, that is, if you understand which brands are most reliable, long lasting and will actually deliver everything you are looking for.
This is where I can help.
Based on my years of experience, both purchasing and returning many different brands of external hard drives, there is only one brand that I continually go back to: Iomega external hard drive. The reason behind this is not because of the many features this device offers. It can’t be, since the Iomega external hard drive systems seem to offer the exact same features as every other brand on the market. No, it is the Iomega quality / durability that I keep coming back to, though the lists of features are worth mentioning.
The Iomega external hard drive usually comes with a wide variety of features, including Energy Star technology. This system requires less energy to operate, meaning less of an impact on my electric bill. Of course, the impact may be rather small when compared to not having a computer system at all, but when you watch your electric bill change over the course of time, all of the savings you start to accumulate begins to add up rather quickly.
Iomega external hard drive systems come with an USB 2.0 interface connection, directly linked with the Energy Star technology. This system allows the Iomega external hard drive to connect through a USB port to your home computer system, and, as a result, not only become accessible to the user, but also begins receive the power necessary to be accessed. All of the power needed by the Iomega external hard drive is taken from your personal computer system, not from another plug in the wall. This greatly reduces the level of energy output and, like I said earlier, over time, the savings begins to add up exponentially.
Last but not least, the Iomega external hard drive durability. Their external devices have lasted me a lot longer than the other brands. For example, some years ago, I purchased a Western Digital device and thought it was wonderful. Well, it was wonderful, that is, until it broke down a few months later, causing me to lose all of my files. When it comes to the Iomega external hard drive systems I have purchased, nothing of the sort has occurred, and it has been years!
Filed under External Hard Drives Articles by on Jan 28th, 2010. Comment.
The new Western Digital My Book Essential 1TB External Hard Drive delivers a whopping 1 TB external file storage, powered through a USB 2.0 connection interface for maximum power saving capability. This new Western Digital external hard drive model also automatically enters standby mode if not accessed within a ten minute window, and quickly comes back online the moment any user attempts to gain access to stored files.
The Western Digital My Book Essential 1TB External Hard Drive was also designed to fit any office décor! With its strong, sleek external design, the new Western Digital external hard drive becomes barely noticeable and offers an addition professional look to your home / corporate office.
Actual Customer Comments:
A portion of an actual customer review found on amazon.com
“I bought this external hard drive this thanksgiving and love it very much.”
A portion of an actual customer review found on reviews.pricegrabber.com
“Unreliable, loose wire ports”
A portion of an actual customer review found on bestbuy.com
Based on customer reviews, the new Western Digital My Book Essential 1TB External Hard Drive has been cause for mixed emotions among users. In one corner, customers have been praising the Western Digital My Book Essential 1TB External Hard Drive for its ability to save on energy, making it far less costly to use than normal, saving energy and lessening its impact on the environment. In another corner, customers have been complaining about a few frustrating issues, ranging between the hard drive’s life span and it’s less than reliable cord connections. One customers stated that his unit started having issues connection to the USB cord running from his computer after only a few months of use. Yet another customer even stated this his unit began to shut down after a little more than a year, saying that, though his files were able to be salvaged, the hard drive’s functionality ceased to be reliable.
The verdict:
Poor. Customers have been praising and shunning the new Western Digital My Book Essential 1TB External Hard Drive model. Though the hard drive provides a rather impressive amount of external digital file storage, the hardware itself seems to have a small shelf life, making it extremely risky to use as a sole file backup system.
Order your Western Digital My Book Essential 1TB External Hard Drive Here!
Product Details:
Name: Western Digital My Book Essential 1TB External Hard Drive
Company Name: Western Digital
Product Information: 1 TB of external file storage, USB 2.0 interface, exterior meshes with any office décor, USB power usage enables standby mode after 10 minutes of lack of use.
Filed under Western Digital by on Jan 28th, 2010. Comment.