Review - Western Digital Elements External 500GB HD
I've been looking for an external hard drive for a while now and was lucky to find a deal on a Western Digital elements 500GB USB 2.0 model so I decided to write up a quick review on it. Basically it's a hard drive and it works as it should. It's in a silver case with rubber grips and it comes with the necessary USB and power cables. The documentation is little more than a few scraps of paper that just reiterate what's on the outside of the box.
The model I have doesn't have a power switch on the back, and although the newer models do it doesn't bother me since unplugging it turns it off. The HD light is on the back of the unit, which doesn't make any sense, and the power cord comes in two pieces with the AC adapter annoyingly in the middle with a green LED that is also annoying and useless.
The biggest problem with this drive though is the heat issue, and while the HD unit doesn't get too hot the AC adapter was on fire when I picked it up to unplug it after 4 or 5 hours. During use the HD will get warm, but then it'll cool down again after a short while. However the AC adapter was very hot and stayed that way much longer than the HD itself. I don't know if that's normal, but it worries me.
Altogether I'd say the WD elements hard drive is good though it could be much better.
I GIVE THE WD ELEMENTS 500GB HARD DRIVE A 7/10 [GOOD]
PROS:
- Rubber grips to stay in place
- HD doesn't get too hot and cools down quickly
- Fast
CONS:
- AC adapter gets way too hot
- HD light is on the back of the unit
- Power cord comes in two pieces
- AC adapter is in the middle of the power cord
- LED on AC adapter is dumb
- Doesn't seem very portable
VALUE:
- The cheaper the better.
