WD MyBook Pro external Harddisk any good?

My local Bestbuy has the WD MyBook Pro 500GB for $169. It's silver/white, match perfectly with my MBP. Also, it has FW800. Looks very good.
Anyone has experience with this unit? Is it a good external HD?

 

I've heard great things about WD MyBooks. I believe our resident taelrak uses it as well. I think. Go for it!

 

I have a 250GB one, it has been very reliable. No problems with mine.

 

I have borrowed a friend's before, but I thought it was too noisy and overheated quickly. I like my 500GB Seagate FreeAgent more, despite not having a true power button.

 

go for it. im gona get a 160gb one and i have read very good reviews on it.

 

I only have the non-Pro usb version. For my 2nd external, I'm definitely going to get one with a triple interface (i.e. firewire 800), but I'm still undecided between a LaCie, the WD MyBook Pro, or the FreeAgent.

Heard some problems with people using Macs and LaCie - but since it was a single post, dunno what to really make of that.

PS: As an aside, maybe I should sell my MBP for this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5375900.stm

Kitten or MBP...kitten or MBP...ah the decisions

 

I believe the 160GB is the WD Passport. I have the 120GB model of it...it is different from the MyBook.

 

haha thats great

no, there is a 160 gb version of the mybook. actually, i think theres 2 or three 160gb versions. here is the one im looking at.

 

Ahhh, I see. Well, if it was 160GB, I would definitely get the smaller Passport over the MyBook. The only limitations is USB only and slower HDD speed.

 

The problem with FreeAgent Pro is that you can only have USB "OR" FW 400 at one time. It has some kind of changeable faceplate in the bottom of the unit that has the interfaces. In this case USB/eSata or dual FW400. It also only has FW400. On top of that, the eSata performance is medicore.

 

yea i do WANT to get the 250gb firewire version, but it will all depend on how much spare $$ i have when im ready to order it.

 

Speaking of firewire 800 external drives...
I've read about problems of the firewire port burning out when you unplug the lacie hdd.

Is this simply a problem common to all firewire ports and how they manages their power (i would assume there should be some sort of failsafe to prevent power surges), or is this a problem specific to certain lacie drives?

 

Go for it... i got mine the other day from bestbuy and it's working pretty good for me...

Firewire 800 is awesome... it cuts the transfer time from USB probably by 5....

7gb worth of file was transferred in about 4 minutes... compared to 20+ with usb...

and so far it's the cheapest in the market... i checked amazon and it's $186+

$169.99 + Tax, came up to be $184 for me... but atleast i dont have to wait for shipping to get mine...

 

I have a 250 GB version and quite like it. It has a nice form factor, and there's a lot of very small details that make this drive better than other external enclosures I have.

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