WD My Passport series (Spring 2012) review: WD My Passport series (Spring 2012)

According to Seagate, a new recording technology is required for 2.5-inch hard drives to offer 2TB of storage space. WD's latest 2TB My Passport drive proves otherwise. Nonetheless, the new drive has likely reached the final frontier in terms of storage space for the current perpendicular recording technology.

8.3

WD My Passport series (Spring 2012)

$101 at Amazon

The Good

The USB 3.0-based <b>WD My Passport Portable</b> offers top capacity and fast performance in a compact, good-looking, and sturdy package. It also comes with useful software, and it's relatively affordable.

The Bad

The My Passport's included backup software doesn't allow you to back up on a schedule.

The Bottom Line

The WD My Passport Portable makes an excellent portable drive for use with both desktop and laptop computers, at home or while on the road.

Despite the top capacity, the new My Passport is as compact as any other portable drive in the My Passport family, even more compact than some, and is bus-powered, meaning you only need one cable for both data and power. At a street price of around $200 for 2TB, the drive is a great deal.

If you're looking for a portable drive for backup or storage expansion purposes, both at home or while on the go, the new My Passport makes an excellent choice. If you want something more flexible or rugged, also consider the Seagate GoFlex Ultraportable or the Silicon Power Armor A80.