Western Digital My Passport (2TB)

Portable hard drives typically distinguish themselves in one of two ways: speed or capacity. With its brisk USB 3.0 interface and enormous space, the Western Digital My Passport (2TB) ($249.99 direct) approaches this proverbial fork in the road and takes both paths. It's huge and quick, which is really what most users look for in a portable drive. But that's about all it has going for it - it doesn't quite shake things up. That said, the My Passport (2TB) is nonetheless a fine drive that, thanks to its huge capacity, will undoubtedly leave its users satisfied for a very, very long time.

Design and Features
Measuring .82 by 3.24 by 4.37 inches (HWD), the My Passport (2TB) is, true to its name, roughly the size of a passport. Assuming you haven't traveled to every single country on the planet, it's a bit thicker than an average passport. At a scant .49 pound, you can easily toss it into your bag or chinos without adding any noticeable heft. The My Passport (2TB) takes most of its design cues from the Western Digital My Passport Studio (2TB) ($299.99 list, 4 stars), feeling appreciably sturdy in my hand thanks to its compact size and smooth rounded edges, though the latter's anodized aluminum chassis accounts for a slightly heavier and overall more attractive final product. This isn't to say that the My Passport (2TB) is an eyesore? far from it. Its plastic chassis sports a pleasing smooth matte finish on its edges and underside that contrast nicely with the dotted pattern that adorns the lid. As was the case with the My Passport Studio, an embossed WD logo on the lid is noticeable but doesn't detract from the drive's aesthetic. While our test unit was black, the My Passport also comes in white, red, blue, and silver.

There's a USB Micro B port at the rear of the drive alongside an activity indicator that flashes intermittent bursts of white light whenever the drive's in use. The supplied USB cable can be plugged into either a USB 3.0 or USB 2.0 port. As far as connectivity goes, that's about it? the My Passport (2TB) doesn't support FireWire 800 like the My Passport Studio. If you're content with limiting yourself solely to a USB interface, then this shouldn't be a major issue. On the other hand, if your decision hinges on versatility and future-proofing, our current Editors' Choice for portable hard drives, theSeagate Backup Plus, is the drive to beat thanks to its interchangeable USM adapter.

Not that the My Passport (2TB) lacks versatility altogether. For instance, although it comes pre-formatted for NTFS, it can be formatted for Mac, giving it an edge over the Windows-onlyClickfree C6 Portable (1TB) ($150 street, 4 stars). There's some pre-installed software contained on the My Passport (2TB), including WD Drive Utilities (Diagnostics, Sleep Timer, Drive Erase), WD Security app for hardware encryption, and WD SmartWare. The latter is an easy to use backup program whose newly revamped interface makes backing up data and retrieving deleted files fairly straightforward endeavors. It's an impressive program, though not as much as the Seagate Dashboard software included with the Backup Plus, which incorporates social networking features into the user interface to a remarkable degree.

Performance
The My Passport (2TB) was a speedy performer overall, especially when using USB 3.0. In our PCMark 05 test, it churned out impressive scores of 6,016 (USB 3.0) and 3,078 (USB 2.0), putting it within relative striking distance of the Backup Plus (6,436 via USB 3.0; 3,125 via USB 2.0).

Using USB 3.0, The My Passport (2TB) copied our 1.22GB test folder in a brisk 15 seconds. This puts it exactly on par with the Backup Plus's USB 3.0 transfer speed (15 seconds). The Clickfree C6 Portable (1TB) didn't fare as well alongside the My Passport (2TB), with the latter flying past the Clickfree C6 Portable (1TB) (17 seconds). Additionally, the My Passport's (2TB) USB 3.0 transfer rate outperformed the My Passport Studio's (2TB) FireWire 800 transfer rate by a solid 4 seconds (19 seconds).

Although USB 2.0 predictably yielded slower speeds for the My Passport (2TB) (38 seconds), it nonetheless sprinted past the others in its class by varying degrees. It edged past the Backup Plus with two seconds to spare (40 seconds), and did so in an even more pronounced fashion versus the Clickfree C6 Portable (41 seconds). At the very bottom of the heap, the Western Digital My Passport for Mac (1TB) ($159.99 direct, 3.5 stars) with its sole USB 2.0 connection (47 seconds) was handily outpaced by the My Passport (2TB) by a significantly wider margin.

Rather than reinventing the wheel or introducing any groundbreaking innovations to the realm of portable hard drives, the Western Digital My Passport (2TB) simply tweaks what already exists. This is not a bad thing?far from it, since most users are mainly concerned with speed and capacity, and it nails both of these aspects. That said, it's nowhere near as versatile as our current Editors' Choice, the Seagate Backup Plus, which successfully combines future-proofing sensibilities with innovative social-networking aspects. For what is, though, the My Passport (2TB) is ultimately a fine choice.

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Western Digital My Passport (2TB) with several other hard drives side by side.

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