- Simply affordable
- Plug-and-play storage
- USB 2.0 interface
Installation was was truly "plug and play". I simply took it out of the box, plugged it in, and it was immediately recognized by the DVR. I have since transferred about 200gb of content to/from it, and have watched content directly from the drive. So far, it is working perfectly. It automatically spins down after a few minutes of non-use, as well as when the DVR is powered off. It also spins back up automatically (less than 10 seconds) when the DVR accesses it.
One thing some people might not like: The case is designed to sit flat (as pictured), not on its side. There are four small non-skid pads on the bottom corners, but none on either side. There is no indication on the box, in the documentation, or on Western Digital's web site as to whether the drive will work properly on edge. As a general rule, WD drives are designed to operate sideways or even upside down (any X,Y,Z orientation), so this one probably will too -but you'll need to provide your own non-skid pads.
Several similar Western Digital drives, such as the late model "My Book" series, now include a firmware-based CD-partition that is difficult to remove, and can cause compatibility issues with some devices. That partition contains backup software and utilities that are of questionable value in any case, and of absolutely no value when using the drive with a non-computer device (like the Dish DVR). The Elements -at least at time of this review -doesn't include any of that junk. (Note: WD does have a downloadable utility to remove the partition from the other drives, but if you don't want that junk then save yourself the time/trouble and just buy the Elements drive.)
Buy WD Elements 3 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive Now
I bought 3 of these drives for $99 each around Black Friday. The value cannot be beat and I always prefer Western Digital due to their Advance Replacement policy.One of the drives had issues. I always check all new drives I buy with the Western Digital Life Diagnostics program which is available for free from Western Digital. All drives passed the test without issues. The test will take at least 12 hours to complete on such a large drive. One of the drives was dropping the transfer rate after copying 500 GB to it for no reason and I had to replace it. What is really disappointing is that the drive passed the test so I have no confidence in the diagnostic program anymore.
The moment you receive the drive check your warranty online at the Western Digital website. The warranty for this model is only 1 year which I consider absolutely insufficient for a drive. The bad thing about it is that Western Digital starts counting from the manufacturing date and by the time you get it, the warranty left is only 9-10 months which is ridiculous. They will update the warranty to 1 year after the purchase date but you will have to send them the receipt and be patient. It took them 2 weeks to respond to an online request. They also have an option to extend the warranty for another 2 years for $25 per drive. I might consider that....
I recommend this drive because the size, price and ease of use. It doesn't have any of the limitations of the fancier Western Digital drives. It is just a big, cheap external hard drive.
Update September 16 2010
Today I bought another one and when cheking the warranty it was shorter by 6 months. I went through my regular procedure to write to WD Customer support when I realized they had a link that was addressing the issue. Now you can register the drive and it will update the warranty automatically. It even gives you 1 month more ! Also, the registration page gives information about warranty upgrades. You can upgrade this drive from 1 year to 3 years for $25. Not bad considering that if it dies after the first year (and all do after they are out of warranty) it is just a paperweight.
My advices to everybody that buy WD drives are:
1. Check your warranty ASAP.
2. Register the drive to get it updated.
Read Best Reviews of WD Elements 3 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive Here
I work for Computing support at Arizona State University, and I have enough technical knowledge to be certified as a TECH JUNKIE :)I am a photographer too, so I have tons of Photos (about 160GB), Videos, Software, Movies and Documentaries. I was looking for a simple external hard drive without any backup software included, I am smart enough to do manual incremental backups with file tree structure intact (I use GOODSYNC to backup, its very simple and easy to use, for not so TECH savvy people try SYNCTOY by Microsoft).
I have looked at many many external HDDs and narrowed down to two models "Samsung Story 1TB very good one too" and this one (I wanted it to be cheap too got this for $85. I did not go with other WD models because of their annoying Backup Software.
Coming to the WD Elements 1TB: Its much smaller than I expected. It is dead silent, I had to touch it to convince myself that it was running, when I first turned it on. Its not too heavy either. The indicator light is placed at the rear, which is a very good thing (I find these LED's annoying, especially at night).
After I did the first setup, I copied 383GB of data (931GB was total space). It took about 4hr 47min, speed varied between 20MBps to 37MBps. This is pretty good speed for USB 2.0. It was just a bit warm (my old segate hard drive would be very very hot for this amount of data transfer).
I would recommend it to beginners or pros alike. I am very happy with this purchase!
UPDATE:
After about three months of heavy usage, it never gave up on me. Its still dead silent and works flawlessly. It never got even warm!!
UPDATE: 07-28-2010
I sold my WD Elements 1TB and got a 2TB one a couple of months ago(as my data is on rise all the time, I'm a data guzzler), couldn't be happier :)
UPDATE 04-04-2012
Till today the drives work like a charm, I bought another 2TB drive a year ago (now I have 2TB x 2 = 4TB)
They both work fantastic!!
Want WD Elements 3 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive Discount?
I bought this on sale at Fry's for $99, way below the amazon price. I wanted something simple as most hard drives these days come with their annoying built in software which cannot be deleted (like WD Essential Edition). This is a hassle free drive and is not bundled with any of the extra software which is exactly what I wanted. You simply plug it in and it works. It can easily be formatted to work with macs as well. I've been using WD hard drives for years and I own several models of the "essential" and "passport" editions. They are very reliable.This elements hard drive has a sleek and sexy, minimalist design. It is well built overall and constructed of durable plastic. There is a slot for the USB cable, a slot for the power adapter and a tiny circular white light which blinks when it is in use (the light is not overwhelming as some hard drives can be). All three of these features are on one side/face of the hard drive (as shown in the picture), so if you have this plugged in and it is facing away from you, you won't see the light at all. This doesn't bother me but it may be a turn off for some people.
When in operation, it is very smooth and quiet compared to other WD hard drives I own. This may be due to the fact that it is closed entirely and there are no holes for ventilation as in other WD models. But this doesn't bother me because I just use this as a backup and don't need it on all of the time. This could (emphasis on "could") be an issue if you are constantly using your hard drive because it may become hot. I haven't experienced this at all, just speculating. If you are just backing up files and, say, watching a movie on your computer which is stored on the hard drive, I think you'll be fine and there won't be any heating issues.
More info here on WD's website:
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The Western Digital WD Elements is probably most notable for what it doesn't have:1) It doesn't have any clever "look at me" flasing/glowing/blinking lights. One tiny light in the back will confirm it is on. But you won't need to check because "it just works".
2) It doesn't have any annoying, auto-loading, "I know better" software. There are lots of great backup programs available (freeware, shareware and built into most operating systems). And, of course, you can always just drag-and-drop files right onto the drive.
3) It doesn't get hot. Heat is a killer for electronics so that is even more important than you might think.
4) It doesn't make ANY sound.
5) It doesn't take up much space. It is smaller and more compact than any other external drive that I have purchased.
6) It doen't have any goofy stands or attachments. It is squared on all sides except the back so you can position it any way you want to.
7) And finally, it doesn't cost much. Considering drive space for cost this is the best value I have ever gotten on a drive.
For reference I have purchased two Seagate Freeagent drives, a 1 TB MyBook and have put several old drives into external drive enclosures. All of them are still working. I also have passing experience with several others from work and associates -I like the WD Elements solution the best!
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