how is this different from the WD ultra? the description looks the same other than the metal casing! is the price difference just for the case?
285858
Western Digital claims the only difference between the Slim and the Ultra is the outer case shape/size and the capacity options (the Ultra being available in everything from 500 GB to 2 TB while the Slim only comes in 1 TB and 2 TB).
285859
The WD SLIM it is twice faster than WD ULTRA . On my HP DM1 the WD SLIM has a transfer rate of 24 mb/sec and the WD ULTRA has transfer rate of 12 mb/sec ( over 200 mb size file ) . And yes the SLIM is 3 mm. (high )less than ULTRA and 2 mm . ( front ) less than ULTRA . It is a very sleek portable hard drive .
1888294
According to Technodeals, the company which is actually selling and shipping the drives, these are "bulk pulls" and classified as "New - other". They provide a 3 yr warranty and 30 days for returns. I don't believe WD provides any warranty for these drives. If WD was providing any type of warranty I would think Amazon would have listed it somewhere on the product page but there is absolutely no mention of any warranty with the exception of the $6.40, 2-year warranty offered by a third party. Look by the "Add to Cart" button on the top of the page. I've used a number of these drives, all "bulk pulled" and have never experienced any issue. Hope this helps and does not confuse the issue. According to Technodeals, the company which is actually selling and shipping the drives, these are "bulk pulls" and classified as "New - other". They provide a 3 yr warranty and 30 days for returns. I don't believe WD provides any warranty for these drives. If WD was providing any type of warranty I would think Amazon would have listed it somewhere on the product page but there is absolutely no mention of any warranty with the exception of the $6.40, 2-year warranty offered by a third party. Look by the "Add to Cart" button on the top of the page. I've used a... » Read More According to Technodeals, the company which is actually selling and shipping the drives, these are "bulk pulls" and classified as "New - other". They provide a 3 yr warranty and 30 days for returns. I don't believe WD provides any warranty for these drives. If WD was providing any type of warranty I would think Amazon would have listed it somewhere on the product page but there is absolutely no mention of any warranty with the exception of the $6.40, 2-year warranty offered by a third party. Look by the "Add to Cart" button on the top of the page. I've used a number of these drives, all "bulk pulled" and have never experienced any issue. Hope this helps and does not confuse the issue. « Show Less
96349
Dr. Bozarth, I take all reviews with a grain of salt of course. I also noticed the disparity in the ratings between the two sites. I usually frequent thehomeservershow.com. Many of the forum members are I.T. Professionals, or like myself, a medical professional with a keen interest in technology. The Western Digital Green Drives were the go to drives in the past, but were not ideal for NAS/RAID situations. Many of the members have had good luck with the RED drives, but still recommend a program such as SpinRite or HD Tune Pro to evaluate the drive before putting it into service. I can only recall one situation where a member reported a DOA Red Drive, and many more situations where the Green drives presented problems. The recommended drives for your scenario would be the WD Red drives or the Seagate NAS drives. RAID-1 would be a good solution, and a cloud backup such as CrashPlan on top of that. I have personally purchased two 3TB Red drives and have had no problems with them in the 6-12 months I have owned them. Hope this helps.
1128747
In general , I prefer WD over Seagate. Personally, I have had more Seagate failures . The price is also very fair for the WD blue.
1483980
That's a good question . . . . In my experience, the Segate drives are built a bit more durable than WD. I've had numerous issues them over the years. Not to say Seagate drives are bulletproof, but I prefer them.
1128742
I bought a Seagate 1tB about two years ago. I've had to have it replaces twice already and I'm looking for a third replacement. I still have a 150Gb WD drive that I bought nearly a decade ago. In my experience, I would go with the WD... I'm about to buy this one.
1126407
WD says that greens will work and nothing else. I have a feeling that has to do with the lower power consumption. I have heard horror stories about green drives and WD software has said my drives have gone bad, but the drives read and write just fine. I love the raid setup and dont know why anyone else hasn't continued this setup at this price point ( I bought mine used for a little less than $100)
348420
The price is now down to $95. Even $95 seems too high a price to pay considering the possibility of future data loss. Amazon hiked its price up - probably to encourage sales and boost confidence. But the negative reviews keep growing. I have decided against buying this drive. Take a look at the alternatives discussed in the comments section here: http://estrip.org/articles/tinypliny/47862.html(Click on the comment bubble to see the comments.)
1263238
Confusing right? They sell just the hardware and shell. You have to buy the drives. I went with WD Red series. I would recommend you buy two drives ; one to make a mirror backup of the main drive. If yuh have a lot of home videos, buy two 3 TB drives or higher. My analysis suggests that this is the best price point. It is, overall, a $500 investment. But, it's worth it for pictures, phones and computer backup.
2017566
You can see the comparison at the bottom of the Elements page. Only thing that separates the two is some crappy software. Save your money buy the WD Element.
674813
Holds my WD My Passport Essential SE 1 TB drive perfectly, with 1/2" height to spare. I'm not sure how the Ultra differs, but it will fit an object 4-1/2" tall x 3-1/2" wide. Netted side is 1/2" deep, but netting stretches so could accommodate deeper. Opposite side with strap is also 1/2" deep, so netting can stretch into this area.
892243
I suspect the case material, plastic vs. stainless steel, is the only difference. They are still playing with their pricing scheme.
174145
This WD drive works with the nomad rugged case, ASIN B00505EZZ6, $39.95 to protect it in extreme conditions, but for normal rugged conditions a Drive Logic DL-64 EVA HD Case (black), ASIN B003VVH8Y6. $9.95 w/free shipping, will do just as good. Check both then decide.
310070
A little late to the discussion, but I just want to point out that Consumer Reports ranks the WD-Y57 much higher than the other model. A score of 69 vs 63. The top score in the category is 74.
1096335
both are SATA. the major difference comes between the Western Digital Red Blue and Green lines. Red is Network Attached storage and server line quality. usually they are better built than your standard Blue but cost more than the Blue. as i just mentioned the WD Blue is the mainstream line drive. Green is a more energy efficient line of hard drive.For example i had a computer with a old Quantium Fireball IDE drive and i replaced it with a larger Western Digital Blue IDE and it worked fine.
629560
Seagate vs WD. I've used them both over the years, along with Maxtor. For myself and some people Seagate=good and WD=bad, and for others, just the opposite. What's interesting in these comments is that the usage habits are not known, i.e., how intensely is the hard drive being accessed (applications, pro versus consumer, etc), and, in what environment is the hard drive being used (air quality, room temperature, humidity, appropriate case cooling, physical vibration, etc.). Those are the useful comparatives that would help in these reviews. Otherwise, it's just comparing one's FOTD (flavor of the day). Seagate vs WD. I've used them both over the years, along with Maxtor. For myself and some people Seagate=good and WD=bad, and for others, just the opposite. What's interesting in these comments is that the usage habits are not known, i.e., how intensely is the hard drive being accessed (applications, pro versus consumer, etc), and, in what environment is the hard drive being used (air quality, room temperature, humidity, appropriate case cooling, physical vibration, etc.). Those are the useful comparatives that would help in these reviews. Otherwise, it's just comparing one's FOTD (flavor... » Read More Seagate vs WD. I've used them both over the years, along with Maxtor. For myself and some people Seagate=good and WD=bad, and for others, just the opposite. What's interesting in these comments is that the usage habits are not known, i.e., how intensely is the hard drive being accessed (applications, pro versus consumer, etc), and, in what environment is the hard drive being used (air quality, room temperature, humidity, appropriate case cooling, physical vibration, etc.). Those are the useful comparatives that would help in these reviews. Otherwise, it's just comparing one's FOTD (flavor of the day). « Show Less
2182826
Bare oem drives are quite different when it comes to warranty. Either buy the extra warranty offered or get the retail package. WD will not replace a bad OEM drive. TRUST ME, personal experience everyone.