The software was easy to setup and use, but note that it changes the icon of the My Passport Essential drive.Īs for the My Passport Essential’s performance, it performed admirably, especially in our USB 2.0 file reading tests.
The drive also ships with WD SmartWare, a utility that lets you choose the types of files to backup, password-protect the drive, run simple diagnostics tools to check the health of your drive, and control when the drive goes into idle mode.
The WD Quick Formatter program prepped the Windows-formatted My Passport Essential for the Mac use in just a few clicks.
Western Digital also includes a USB 3.0 cable (which you can plug into a Mac’s USB 2.0 port), a two-year limited warranty, and technical support and warranty information.Ī PDF user manual for the drive comes loaded onto the drive itself, along with software that’s actually useful. Western Digital offers the drive in five colors (black, blue, red, silver, and white), but only in a 500GB capacity. A variety of cases are available for the drive, including the WD Nomad Rugged Case. While I like the shiny plastic casing that houses the drive inside, it’s unfortunately prone to smudges and scratches.