Product Description

Small, simple, elegant, and very easy to use. Just plug it in, and you've got plenty of room to back up and save your valuable data, music, photos, and movies.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1537 in Consumer Electronics
• Color: Black
• Brand: Western Digital
• Model: WDG1U5000N
• Dimensions: 4.70" h x 8.00" w x 11.60" l, 4.00 pounds
• Hard Disk: 500GB

Features

• Store and back up your music, photos, videos and important documents with this external hard drive
• Easy to set up and use with built-in installation software
• Simple user interface features USB 2.0 connectivity
• Device holds up to 500 GB of data
• Measures 5.55 x 2.25 x 6.71 inches (WxHxD)

Amazon.com Product Description
Is your computer loaded with photos, music, video, and all sorts of important files? If so, you should make extra room, back them up, and keep them safe on Western Digital's WDG1U5000 My Book Essential Edition 500 GB Hard Drive. This reliable, easy-to-use external hard drive is the perfect storage solution for all your precious digital assets.

Save and back up all your digital assets with the My Book Essential Edition Hard Drive. View larger.

Simple, easy-to-use design.

Connects to your computer via USB 2.0 interface. View larger.

The elegant case takes up very little space.

Installation is a breeze because you don't really "install" anything -- just plug it in and it's ready to use. There is not even an installation CD because all the included software loads automatically from the hard drive the first time you plug it in. The My Book Essential is all about simplicity. Just plug it into your computer's USB 2.0 port and you're ready to start saving and backing up your files.

But that's not all. Western Digital uses a smart design to make the My Book Essential look as good as it performs. The elegant case resembles a book and takes up very little space on your desk. Plus, it stacks horizontally and allows two or more drives to nestle neatly together like encyclopedias on a shelf. Inside the stylish exterior is an exceptionally fast, ultra-quiet, cool-running hard drive. Last but not least, the My Book Essential is equipped with free Google software that searches your drives, manages your photos, and simplifies Web searches.

My Book Essential Edition Hard Drives are ideal for:

• Simple add-on storage for your files, music, photos and movies
• Adding virtually unlimited storage with multiple USB 2.0 external hard drives
• Archiving the music stored on your MP3 player
• Adding plenty of space for digital video capture and editing
• Saving and organizing your digital photo collection

Note: For higher performance and automatic backup software, consider the My Book Premium Edition 500 GB Hard Drive.

What's in the Box
My Book Essential 500 GB USB 2.0 external hard drive, USB cable, AC adapter with power cord, and quick install guide.

From the manufacturer
You can't measure memories in gigabytes. But you can use those gigabytes to preserve the stuff that really matters - the photos, music, movies and documents that you never want to lose, never want to forget. My Book is full of life--your life.

Small, simple, elegant, and very easy to use. Just plug it in, and you've got plenty of room to back up and save your valuable data, music, photos, and movies.

Features

• Easy to set up, easy to use -- This drive is all about simplicity. Plug it into your computer's USB 2.0 port and start saving.
• Intelligent drive management features — The My Book drive turns itself on and off with your computer
• Smart design — The elegant case, iconic of a book, takes up less space on your desk, stacks horizontally, and allows two or more drives to stand neatly together like volumes on a shelf.
• High quality hard drive — Inside the case is an exceptionally fast, ultra quiet, cool-running hard drive from Western Digital.
• Free Google software — Search your drive, manage your photos, and simplify Web searches with included Google software.

Ideal For

• Simple add-on storage for your files, music, photos and movies
• Adding virtually unlimited storage with multiple USB 2.0 external hard drives

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Customer Reviews

Don't do it!!
If I could give a negative review for this I would. The hard drive worked fine up until yesterday when I tried to access it, and couldn't find it in the list! I had no way of accessing the drive. I tried everything - from rebooting my computer, turning the drive on and off, changing usb ports, and plugging it into a wall socket. NOTHING worked! I started google-ing around and found that other people had the same problem, and there wasn't really a solution for it. I even tried calling tech support, but they didn't want to help me unless I paid them $40 since my warranty for the drive was up. Now my only option is to open that sucker up and to put it into a new enclosure. Hopefully that will work or else all my stuff is lost! :(

please Read, Warning
I just want to write and let the world know what kind of company this is. I have owned 3 Western digital (WD) hard drives. All 3 have not lasted longer then 2 years, the most recent has only lasted 1 yr.. 4 months. But the kicker of this situation is the external hard drive WD make have a warranty of 1 year. but the internal Hard drives that are inside the units have a 3-5 year warranty. So I called WD because the hard drive inside the case went bad. So this is how the call went.
The phone rang, and I got contacted to someone over sea's and could barely speak english. I told him my problem and he said sorry it's out of warranty and there is nothing he could do. So i said the hard drive inside the unit has a 3 year warranty. he said well you bought the external hard drive so you only get a 1 year warranty. I was going no where with him so I asked to speak to a manager.
Mind you it's bad enough I lost all my info, but now I couldn't get a replacement. so the manager comes on and says there is nothing he can do. I said to him because I buy the complete package the WD makes I get punished. and if i went out and bought a internal hard drive and put it in a case i'd get a 3-5 year warranty? he responded back, yea. I said dont you think this is a little unfair? and he said sorry. So then trying to be slick I said ok so what if I take the Hard drive out will i get the 3-5 year warranty? he said no you'll void the warranty because they marry the case and the hard drive as 1 unit so they know the hard drive came out of it. But his way of solving the situation he said is they offer a service to recover the data, I asked how much does that cost. he said about $3k. I asked to talk to his manager and he sad it would take 48 hours for them to call me back. (still waiting)
Long story short, if you are interested in buying a western digital I recommend buying a internal hard drive and putting it in a case which are very cheap. Just search external hard drive case, and tons will pop up. by doing this you'll get a real warranty.
I hope this helps others from getting screwed. Good luck

Year and a half later-dead as a doornail
Worked fine for approximately 18 months. Today it stopped working, emitted a little wisp of smoke, and passed on to electronic heaven. Not in a big hurry to buy from these people again.