Price : Too low to display
WD's My Book Studio is the high performance, premium design external hard drive for your Mac backup and storage needs.
This review is from : Western Digital My Book Studio 2 TB FireWire 800 External Hard Drive
Works Great with Mac Looks Beautiful Silent . This is a gorgeous external drive that is perfect for using with Pro Tools 8 / Digi 002. Firewire may be a less common requirement among most business users, but for music recording applications, firewire is still a must have feature. The drive is very fast, very quiet, and it doesn't take up much space. It also comes with the first set of really useful Mac software utilities I've ever gotten with an external drive (and I have bought them all - Seagate, Buffalo, Iomega, Lacie - you name it, I've owned one and, likely, ridden it into the ground). There's a back up utility that works quite well with time machine (I am working with Snow Leopard 10.6.8). The instructions are clear, and the manual is full of such useful info as where to find the utilities software if you have to reformat your drive.
I haven't opened the enclosure (there's a big sticker on the bottom that warns that removing it will void the warranty). However, the outside is quite elegant, ventilated, and made to operate as a big heatsink, which will likely extend the life of the drive. Speaking of warranties, I have owned a ton of western digital drives. Drives fail. It happens. And Western Digital's warranty/customer service has been really great, uh, both times. Always always always have more than one copy of something you cannot stand to lose.
There's an activity light. It's very subtle, not annoying at all. I'm very pleased with this drive.
Works Great with Mac Looks Beautiful Silent . This is a gorgeous external drive that is perfect for using with Pro Tools 8 / Digi 002. Firewire may be a less common requirement among most business users, but for music recording applications, firewire is still a must have feature. The drive is very fast, very quiet, and it doesn't take up much space. It also comes with the first set of really useful Mac software utilities I've ever gotten with an external drive (and I have bought them all - Seagate, Buffalo, Iomega, Lacie - you name it, I've owned one and, likely, ridden it into the ground). There's a back up utility that works quite well with time machine (I am working with Snow Leopard 10.6.8). The instructions are clear, and the manual is full of such useful info as where to find the utilities software if you have to reformat your drive.
I haven't opened the enclosure (there's a big sticker on the bottom that warns that removing it will void the warranty). However, the outside is quite elegant, ventilated, and made to operate as a big heatsink, which will likely extend the life of the drive. Speaking of warranties, I have owned a ton of western digital drives. Drives fail. It happens. And Western Digital's warranty/customer service has been really great, uh, both times. Always always always have more than one copy of something you cannot stand to lose.
There's an activity light. It's very subtle, not annoying at all. I'm very pleased with this drive.
Western Digital My Book Studio 2 TB FireWire 800 External Hard Drive Reviews
Works . I plugged it in and it did what it's supposed to do. Isn't that what an external drive is for? ...Easy! Overall it's very quiet. Since it's on the desk and close to me, I can hear it slightly whenever it spins up. I'm no tech whiz, so as long as it works by me plugging it in and does what it's supposed to, I'm happy. I have not tried the WD software. Only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that I've only had it a short time.
Works . I plugged it in and it did what it's supposed to do. Isn't that what an external drive is for? ...Easy! Overall it's very quiet. Since it's on the desk and close to me, I can hear it slightly whenever it spins up. I'm no tech whiz, so as long as it works by me plugging it in and does what it's supposed to, I'm happy. I have not tried the WD software. Only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that I've only had it a short time.
Western Digital My Book Studio 2 TB FireWire 800 External Hard Drive Opinions
Must have for Mac Pros . This is designed for Mac machines. It is clearly stated, but fortunately (or unfortunately), if you insist on using it with Windows, its advertised to be 'easily re-formatted to work with Windows XP, Windows 7 & and Vista'. But I would not recommend it unless you are a A+ technician, and know your way around FAT32, NTFS, which are Windows Harddisk formats and HFS+, the Mac HD format. You may even need to download (and maybe have to pay) for a program called MacFuse which can do it for you. So it can be a project.
Firewire is just Apple's nickname for the IEEE 1394, the new improvement in data transfer
vis a vis USB2.0. Firewire 800 means 8ooMb(ytes)ps,which is much faster than USB and provides
more power efficient and reliable data transfer. So its less taxing for the CPU, thus less
chance of other applications locking up. This is important for storing huge video files. There is also an
option for Firewire400 or USB2.0,if your older Mac does not have a Firewire800 PCI card.
There is password protection, which some WD models do not provide. The patented Apple silvery
exterior matches the Mac. It just reeks of Apple quality - even the cables feel like they're made of leather. Speaking of cables, it comes with 3, for FW800, FW400 and USB. There is also a slot for a kensington lock (not include). This is not intended to be portable, so it also comes with a AC adaptor.
Must have for Mac Pros . This is designed for Mac machines. It is clearly stated, but fortunately (or unfortunately), if you insist on using it with Windows, its advertised to be 'easily re-formatted to work with Windows XP, Windows 7 & and Vista'. But I would not recommend it unless you are a A+ technician, and know your way around FAT32, NTFS, which are Windows Harddisk formats and HFS+, the Mac HD format. You may even need to download (and maybe have to pay) for a program called MacFuse which can do it for you. So it can be a project.
Firewire is just Apple's nickname for the IEEE 1394, the new improvement in data transfer
vis a vis USB2.0. Firewire 800 means 8ooMb(ytes)ps,which is much faster than USB and provides
more power efficient and reliable data transfer. So its less taxing for the CPU, thus less
chance of other applications locking up. This is important for storing huge video files. There is also an
option for Firewire400 or USB2.0,if your older Mac does not have a Firewire800 PCI card.
There is password protection, which some WD models do not provide. The patented Apple silvery
exterior matches the Mac. It just reeks of Apple quality - even the cables feel like they're made of leather. Speaking of cables, it comes with 3, for FW800, FW400 and USB. There is also a slot for a kensington lock (not include). This is not intended to be portable, so it also comes with a AC adaptor.
Not to shabby for an external drive! . So what does one do, when they need extra storage space for all their computer needs? Well if your like me, you look into getting an external drive. In this digital age, it is prudent for any consumer to do as much research as possible when your about to purchase an item, whether it's a car, a home, or even electronics. Many of the sources I use are, cnet.com, zdnet, consumer reports, and even Amazon's very own public forum user reviews. After narrowing down my choices and the fact that this was on the Vine program, I jumped at the chance to own this bad boy and couldn't wait to get it up and running. I am currently using a Mac Intel core 2 Duo desktop and running version 10.6.8. First off let me address the aesthetics of this product: I love the book like design and brushed steel feel of the Western Digital Hard drive, and I also love the fact that it takes up very little room. I had a little trouble figuring out how to partition the unit as there were no instructions in it, however I went to the WD website and they showed me exactly how to go into the system and do this. I do wish it had an on off button, but all you have to do is unplug it. In my humble opinion, this hard drive is an A plus to me.
Easy To Use With Macs . As soon as I plugged this drive into my Mac Pro (late 2008 model), I was asked if I wanted to use this drive for Time Machine and set-up from there was about as easy as it could be. I have a Macbook too and can easily switch between the two and pretty much use this product as a flash-drive as well as back up for all my important files. Time machine prompted the first time I plugged it in to each computer, but after that it didn't ask again. When plugged in and using time machine it automatically backs-up my info with no problem and without dramatically slowing down my computer. This hard drive is completely silent and stays cool to the touch. When it has been plugged in without use, it goes into a sleep mode that uses hardly any electricity. When plugged into the computer it turns on and off with the computer power. This is perfect for what I need it for and with 2 TB of space, I will be all set for quite some time. I am very pleased with this product, and have recommend it highly to friends looking for an external hard drive for their Macs. There is no software to install and no noisy fan or other whirring sounds. This hard drive is fantastic.
Solid 4.5 Stars! . I have been using the WD My Book Studio 2TB model now for two weeks and let me tell you, it's a device I don't even think about.
From the moment it was unboxed I was estatic that WD took care in the details.
First, it is made to look like my macbook pro. The WD is an all metal, precision design which looks great sitting next to my macbook pro.
In the box came firewire 800, firewire 400 and USB 2.0 cords, as well as a standard power cord.
Time machine setup was a breeze. After hooking up the Firewire 800 cord and powering on the drive was quickly mounted by the Mac running 10.6.8. I set up Time Machine quickly and in a few minutes the first backup had been created.
I would not recommend using it as a portable drive due to it's larger size, but it does not take up too much real estate on my desk. While on the desk and running, it is whisper quiet and sometimes i don't even know it's there, other than the one single green light on the front telling me it's on.
I have not had any issues with random unmountings as others have had.
I would rate this a 4.5 star out of 5.
From the moment it was unboxed I was estatic that WD took care in the details.
First, it is made to look like my macbook pro. The WD is an all metal, precision design which looks great sitting next to my macbook pro.
In the box came firewire 800, firewire 400 and USB 2.0 cords, as well as a standard power cord.
Time machine setup was a breeze. After hooking up the Firewire 800 cord and powering on the drive was quickly mounted by the Mac running 10.6.8. I set up Time Machine quickly and in a few minutes the first backup had been created.
I would not recommend using it as a portable drive due to it's larger size, but it does not take up too much real estate on my desk. While on the desk and running, it is whisper quiet and sometimes i don't even know it's there, other than the one single green light on the front telling me it's on.
I have not had any issues with random unmountings as others have had.
I would rate this a 4.5 star out of 5.
Works with PC with a bit of diligence . Summary: Pretty excellent. Fairly straight forward to put into use. Up and running within 20 minutes. Versatile interface uses Firewire 400 or 800 or USB 2.0. Works flawlessly with Win7.
--
Let me preface this review by saying that I got this for my PC. So I knew going in that I wasn't the intended target for this drive and I expected some level of hoops to jump through. I didn't expect zero instructions though.
The drive is actually pretty heavy for such a small device. It looks a lot bigger in the picture than when you take it out of the box but it has some heft to it. It comes with all three types of cables and the ac adapter so you can be up and running in no time (for a Mac).
[edit:
In looking at one of the other reviews I thought it was worth noting that while I document my trials and tribulations using this device with the PC it really wasn't very hard to have it up and running quickly. At worst I'd have contacted WD support and they'd have told me where to find the formatting utility.
So, you don't need to be a super geek but maybe a bit patient and recognize that using it for a PC is a bonus not what the out of box experience was designed for.
]
For a PC you need to get the formatting software from WD's site. Sounds simple but there is no clear place to do that from at their site. I did a search and still didn't find the page that describes using this device with a PC. I briefly considered using a 3rd party formatting utility but I didn't want to accidentally brick the drive. I'd have contacted WD support first in any case.
I downloaded the WD Smartwire software and installed it but no joy. It recognized the drive but reported that there was no available volume. That was a small conundrum since there was no instructions on formatting the drive for Windows. There was also a firmware update program so I'd downloaded that too. It came zipped so I unzipped it to a folder but didn't look at it immediately because I was still stuck on formatting the drive.
After a bit more searching I thought, well, I'll go ahead and update the firmware and see what happens. When I opened the firmware folder --- there was the format utility. Nothing on the website mentioned it. No readme.txt either. If you have ever formatted a drive you know that in about 1 second a drive goes from having years of stuff on it to completely blank. I double clicked the exe with that running through my head. Using it, though, was very straight forward and there was no question about what drive it was zapping. I mean, it looked for the external drive and did not even present an option to mess with the internal drives.
As soon as I did that the SmartWire software was good to go. I just went with the default backup scheme and had backup running in seconds.
Restoring a file or files is a piece of cake. Very straight forward with easy steps to restore just one file or everything. You are prompted to over-write the file if the same file is already in the location you are restoring. Using USB 2.0 I just restored about 220MB of files in just a few 10s of seconds. Less than a minute.
The drive does look good. It has rounded corners and a matte finish with a very small activity/power LED. I really like the fact that I don't have yet another super bright blinking LED lighting up the room at night.
The free SmartWire backup software is easy to use and looks good. And free. Also apparently designed just for this product family. That is pretty nice since compatibility is a non-issue.
I'm also using True Image Home 2011 to backup files to this drive at the same time. So you aren't stuck with the free software - you can use anything you like that can recognize external drives.
Despite the problems I encountered using this drive with my PC I still think it is a 5 star product. The marketing is all geared towards Mac users. Anyone that buys it for a PC must feel reasonably competent that they can get it working with the only thing indicating that being the line about formatting the drive for PC use.
--
Let me preface this review by saying that I got this for my PC. So I knew going in that I wasn't the intended target for this drive and I expected some level of hoops to jump through. I didn't expect zero instructions though.
The drive is actually pretty heavy for such a small device. It looks a lot bigger in the picture than when you take it out of the box but it has some heft to it. It comes with all three types of cables and the ac adapter so you can be up and running in no time (for a Mac).
[edit:
In looking at one of the other reviews I thought it was worth noting that while I document my trials and tribulations using this device with the PC it really wasn't very hard to have it up and running quickly. At worst I'd have contacted WD support and they'd have told me where to find the formatting utility.
So, you don't need to be a super geek but maybe a bit patient and recognize that using it for a PC is a bonus not what the out of box experience was designed for.
]
For a PC you need to get the formatting software from WD's site. Sounds simple but there is no clear place to do that from at their site. I did a search and still didn't find the page that describes using this device with a PC. I briefly considered using a 3rd party formatting utility but I didn't want to accidentally brick the drive. I'd have contacted WD support first in any case.
I downloaded the WD Smartwire software and installed it but no joy. It recognized the drive but reported that there was no available volume. That was a small conundrum since there was no instructions on formatting the drive for Windows. There was also a firmware update program so I'd downloaded that too. It came zipped so I unzipped it to a folder but didn't look at it immediately because I was still stuck on formatting the drive.
After a bit more searching I thought, well, I'll go ahead and update the firmware and see what happens. When I opened the firmware folder --- there was the format utility. Nothing on the website mentioned it. No readme.txt either. If you have ever formatted a drive you know that in about 1 second a drive goes from having years of stuff on it to completely blank. I double clicked the exe with that running through my head. Using it, though, was very straight forward and there was no question about what drive it was zapping. I mean, it looked for the external drive and did not even present an option to mess with the internal drives.
As soon as I did that the SmartWire software was good to go. I just went with the default backup scheme and had backup running in seconds.
Restoring a file or files is a piece of cake. Very straight forward with easy steps to restore just one file or everything. You are prompted to over-write the file if the same file is already in the location you are restoring. Using USB 2.0 I just restored about 220MB of files in just a few 10s of seconds. Less than a minute.
The drive does look good. It has rounded corners and a matte finish with a very small activity/power LED. I really like the fact that I don't have yet another super bright blinking LED lighting up the room at night.
The free SmartWire backup software is easy to use and looks good. And free. Also apparently designed just for this product family. That is pretty nice since compatibility is a non-issue.
I'm also using True Image Home 2011 to backup files to this drive at the same time. So you aren't stuck with the free software - you can use anything you like that can recognize external drives.
Despite the problems I encountered using this drive with my PC I still think it is a 5 star product. The marketing is all geared towards Mac users. Anyone that buys it for a PC must feel reasonably competent that they can get it working with the only thing indicating that being the line about formatting the drive for PC use.
Quick quiet drive with a slim profile . Even though this hard drive is customized for a Mac, I decided to use it with my Windows 7 PC. I wasn't sure how easy it would be - if the onboard software would give me issues - so after receiving it, I plugged the drive into my computer using the FireWire 400 cable the drive comes with. (The drive actually comes with three cables, which makes it amazingly convenient - USB, FireWire 400-800, and FireWire 800. All are white in order to be compatible with the sleek look of the drive and match with Macs).
The drive did auto-install, but didn't immediately show up in My Computer. I had to pull up Disk Management (go to Control Panel, ensure the "View" is by Icons rather than Category, then click on Administrative Tools, then Computer Management. Disk Management should be one of the options in the left-hand sidebar) and then format the hard drive in NTFS before it would work. This deleted any onboard software (fine with me - I prefer my hard drives completely clean and don't ever use the pre-installed software) and made the drive appear in My Computer.
However, if you are interested in the onboard software and are on a Windows PC, you can download the program from Western Digital's website.
The drive is exceptionally quiet, and is actually small enough to tuck into a laptop bag and carry with me. I love the sleek profile. It's also fast, and I'm sure would be even faster if I hooked it up via FireWire 800. I've had absolutely no problems with the device and am thrilled with it. I definitely recommend it if you need a large storage space solution or if you need a backup drive, which is what I am using it for.
The drive did auto-install, but didn't immediately show up in My Computer. I had to pull up Disk Management (go to Control Panel, ensure the "View" is by Icons rather than Category, then click on Administrative Tools, then Computer Management. Disk Management should be one of the options in the left-hand sidebar) and then format the hard drive in NTFS before it would work. This deleted any onboard software (fine with me - I prefer my hard drives completely clean and don't ever use the pre-installed software) and made the drive appear in My Computer.
However, if you are interested in the onboard software and are on a Windows PC, you can download the program from Western Digital's website.
The drive is exceptionally quiet, and is actually small enough to tuck into a laptop bag and carry with me. I love the sleek profile. It's also fast, and I'm sure would be even faster if I hooked it up via FireWire 800. I've had absolutely no problems with the device and am thrilled with it. I definitely recommend it if you need a large storage space solution or if you need a backup drive, which is what I am using it for.
great value for an external hard drive that also pleases the eye . Time marches on and computer hardware gets better and better, and cheaper and cheaper. Twenty years ago I happily paid over $350 for an internal Hardcard drive that was a mere 250MB. Now less than $250 gets you a 2TB external hard drive that is a whopping 800,000 times larger.
The Western Digital My Book Studio 2TB external hard drive comes in an aluminum case and is a silver beauty. It comes formatted for a Mac (OS X Leopard or Snow Leopard) but can be formatted for Windows XP/Vista/7. Three cables are supplied, from slowest to fastest throughput: USB 2.0, FireWire 800 > 400, and FireWire 800. The cables are white, which is a welcome change to distinguish themselves from the jumble of mostly black cables behind my iMac. Installation is easy and quick (a few minutes). This 2TB hard drive is completely compatible with Apple Time Machine. That backup is my current flawless use of this drive.
The Western Digital My Book Studio 2TB external hard drive comes in an aluminum case and is a silver beauty. It comes formatted for a Mac (OS X Leopard or Snow Leopard) but can be formatted for Windows XP/Vista/7. Three cables are supplied, from slowest to fastest throughput: USB 2.0, FireWire 800 > 400, and FireWire 800. The cables are white, which is a welcome change to distinguish themselves from the jumble of mostly black cables behind my iMac. Installation is easy and quick (a few minutes). This 2TB hard drive is completely compatible with Apple Time Machine. That backup is my current flawless use of this drive.
Cons Review
dead after 30 days . I set it up and it was great, never touched it, moved it, fiddled with it.
Today it vanished from the Mac, the light is off, the power in it is dead.
Western Digital is very nice on the phone, they will replace it, but they wont't extract the contents, so everything I stored on it will be lost.
Today it vanished from the Mac, the light is off, the power in it is dead.
Western Digital is very nice on the phone, they will replace it, but they wont't extract the contents, so everything I stored on it will be lost.
Product Image
Feature Western Digital My Book Studio 2 TB FireWire 800 External Hard Drive
- Pure performance for Mac with FireWire 800
- Compatible with Apple Time Machine
- Password protection with hardware-based encryption
- WD SmartWare automatic, continuous backup software
- Cool-to-the-touch aluminum enclosure complements your Mac
Related Post
- Western Digital My DVR Expander 500 GB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard
Drive - Western Digital Elements 250 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive
WDBAAR2500ABK-NESN (Black) - Velocity Micro VMdrive Pro Slot Loading External DVD Burner (Black)
Product Details
EAN : 0718037775944UPC : 718037775944
MPN : WDBC3G0020HAL-NESN
Brand : Western Digital
Weight : 4 pounds
Height : 6 inches
Length : 9 inches
Width : 7 inches
Binding : Personal Computers
Manufacturer : Western Digital
Model : WDBC3G0020HAL-NESN
Publisher : Western Digital
Size : 2 TB
SKU : DHWDBC3G0020HAL
Studio : Western Digital
Where To Buy
You can buy Western Digital My Book Studio 2 TB FireWire 800 External Hard Drive on Amazon . Click here to Read More
