WD My Book Essential 2.0 500GB USB 2.0 3.5" External Hard Drive WDH1U5000N

Pros: Wonderful HDD. My Vista computer DID recognize this hard drive with no problem. Been using it heavily since with no problems at all.

Cons: None

Overall Review: A bit pricey for me, but still a great price for as big and fast a drive as this.

Pros: Fast, Smooth, quiet, Sexy, light, relatively easy to transport.

Cons: NONE!

Overall Review: Great external. I am now a Western Digital Fan. Does everything I expected only faster. Comes with back up trial software, which works great but I don't like to purchase software that when I can do it myself.

Pros: Design, form factor, speed, quality.

Cons: Absolutely none.

Overall Review: Speaking from experience with having owned about a dozen external hard drives from a number of different manufacturer's, this one ranks as one of the best, if not, the best. Design is flawless and beautiful, form factor is incredibly small for a 3.5" HD (just seems as though a 2.5" is in there), speed for USB 2.0 is quite fast and impressive, and the overall quality is superb. Random mention: I made the mistake at first of booting the computer with the hard drive connected and this resulted in the computer not recognizing the drive for whatever the reason (I've read this happening to other's as well). So, powered down, disconnected, powered up again, then plugged the USB cable in, and all was well. So far performing solidly and highly recommend for anyone with light demands (such as plain storage), to very demanding (always on) use. Top notch as all my other Western Digital HD's have been.

Pros: 500 gigs of space on probably the most beautiful external hard drive that I've ever come across, and at this price it's a steal -- free shipping!

Cons: USB 2.0 = failure -- transferring takes a bit long.

Overall Review: If you're looking for something to keep all of your important or secondary data on -- this is it. There's plenty of space and it's a reliable Western Digital. Again, be prepared to wait if you're looking to transfer large amounts of data -- it does take a significant amount of time. The drive isn't to be used as a go between to swap files in and out of. If you have large files that you're planning to put in here, do yourself a favor and make it stay there permanently because moving it can take an hour for 100gig+ transfers.

Pros: Good amount of space and great casing. I use it with my Linksys WRT350 because it has a storage link. Seems to work well and since it wakes up when probed it does quite nicely.

Cons: Little larger than the the Seagate Pros, but still compact. Also, the day I bought this one I received and e-mail for another brand that was 750GB for about 25 bucks less.

Overall Review: Happy with functions. No trouble so far. Good craftsmanship.

Pros: SO SIMPLE! Plug it in. Thats its. Software runs, you click click its done. Set up a few Syncs, it will automaticly save what you put in the folder on your PC. You dont have to drag and drop anything. So easy.

Cons: It does not make coffee

Overall Review: If you have alot of pix, MP3s, docs, large files / folders... get one of these. Very nice. Looks pretty darn cool too.

Pros: great sexy sleek outside fast functional inside this drive is great and when the math is done you pay about 20 cents a gig thats amazing

Cons: i didnt have enough for more o and i like the external hard drives that do not need a separate power supply but hey i still love it

Overall Review: newegg is a great site and i love it i also dropped this hard drive off a shelf and it was running! the thing never missed a beat and is still goin on a side note i assumed the drive was going to get really hot but it doesnt. it was running at about 76 degrees Fahrenheit that is real good

Pros: its 500GBs!!!!! its great when if you are like me and own a laptop with low hard drive space works great and i love the auto power off

Cons: maybe a longer cord

Overall Review: i was at walmart and saw the 160GB model for almost the same price GO NEWEGG!!