Today's Best Tech Deals
Picked by Macworld's Editors
Top Deals On Great Products
Sep 22, 2011 The My Passport Studio and My Passport for Mac are the latest portable drives from Western Digital. They are both designed for Mac, though. Getting Started with a My Passport Studio How to format a WD hard drive to exFAT or FAT32 file system. Answer ID 291. Software for Mac. WD Universal Firmware Updater for Mac; GPL / Firmware. WD Macintosh +TURBO Drivers| My Passport Studio Specifications.
Picked by Techconnect's Editors
Western Digital My Passport Studio 1TB
Western Digital My Passport Studio 500GB
Western Digital’s latest My Passport Studio has a solid build and multiple connections, but slow transfer speeds and a preinstalled security app hamstring an otherwise decent drive.
Unlike the My Passport Essential’s () plastic exterior, the My Passport Studio is made from anodized aluminum with a black case and silver edges, giving it both a durable build and professional look. The drive weighs 0.75 pounds, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but it feels sturdy when you hold it in your hand.
The drive has a USB 2.0 port and two FireWire 800 ports, and with a tiny activity light. The My Passport Studio comes preformatted for the Mac, so there’s no need to reformat it. You get the necessary cables (though no FireWire 800 to FireWire 400 cable), along with a Quick Install guide and warranty information. A full digital version of the user’s manual is included on the drive itself, or you can download it from Western Digital’s website.
We tested the 1TB version, but WD sells a 500GB version for $170 and a 750GB drive for $200.
Every time you connect the Passport Studio to your Mac, you’re greeted by Western Digital’s Unlocker software, which requires you to type in a preset password before you can begin using the drive. [Editor's note: This was our experience with the evaluation unit used for testing. A WD representative says that with brand new drives, the Unlocker software should not ask for a password. This is to allow you to delete the software if you wish.] To get around it, you have to use the provided WD Security app. Once installed, you change the password or stop Unlocker from showing up by removing any required password. I’d prefer that Western Digital let the customer decide if they want to use their security app or not, and I find it unfortunate that you’re forced to install extra software in order to deal with a preinstalled app on the My Passport Studio. But it’s possible that you may welcome the extra security the software provides.
My Passport For Mac Drivers
In every test we conducted, the My Passport Studio’s USB 2.0 transfer speeds were a bit on the slow side compared to similar drives. It netted 28.6MBps in our 2GB folder write test and 31.3.MBps in our 2GB file write test over USB 2.0. In contrast, the G-Drive Mobile (), a USB 2.0/FireWire 800 portable drive released over a year ago, obtained 30.8MBps in the 2GB folder write test and 31.7MBps in the 2GBfile write test. The My Passport Studio finished our low-memory Photoshop test in 90 seconds, one of the slowest times among the portable hard drives we’ve tested.
The drive faired slightly better over FireWire 800, where it posted 55.8MBps in the 2GB folder write test and 67.1MBps in the 2GB file write test. It also completed the Photoshop test in 64 seconds. Compared to other FireWire portable drives we’ve tested, the transfer rates were more middle-of-the-road, and the Photoshop time was sluggish, unable to surpass other drives. That’s too bad, since the drive is marketed to creative professionals, who generally need as much speed for their projects as they can get.
Macworld’s buying advice
The My Passport Studio looks good and is overall a decent drive. But it lags in the speed department and has a security app that doesn’t disappear without intervention.
Editor's note: Updated 3/23/12 at 10 a.m. PT with information about the Unlocker software on brand new drives.
Western Digital My Passport Studio 1TB
Western Digital My Passport Studio 500GB
Add FireWire 800, and the Western Digital My Passport Studio could make for the perfect pocket-size external hard drive. Offering FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 connections, this 320GB drive still impressed us with its compact design, decent capacity and performance, and competitive cost per gigabyte. Western Digital lists it for $210, but it can be found online for less (Buy.com, for example, sells it for $185--for 58 cents per gigabyte). If you don't need the FireWire connection and are looking for something even a little more compact and colorful, the USB-only SimpleTech Signature Mini Black Cherry is a good bet. Moving in the other direction, the OWC Mercury is a bit bulkier and costs slightly more per gigabyte, but it supplies FireWire 800. For those looking for the middle ground, however, Western Digital's 320GB My Passport Studio resides in a sweet spot.
| Drive type | External hard drive |
| Connector options | FireWire 400, USB 2.0 |
| Available capacities | 160GB; 250GB; 320GB |
| Capacity of test unit | 320GB |
| Drive size | 2.5-inch |
| Drive speed | 5400rpm |
| Cache | 8MB |
| Dimensions (LWH) | 4.9 x 3.2 x 0.71 inches |
| Notable design features | Sleek aluminum casing with capacity gauge |
| OSes supported | Windows XP, Vista, Mac OS X |
| Software included | Hard=drive management tool for Mac |
| Service and Support | 5-year warranty |
Design and features
As the name suggests, the My Passport Studio has about the same footprint as an actual passport and is about three times thicker. It's also very lightweight at 6.7 ounces. The drive looks somewhat like a book, with a sleek aluminum casing that takes the place of the cover, and black plastic taking the place of the pages.
The My Passport features dual interfaces: FireWire 400 and USB 2.0. It doesn't offer FireWire 800, which is a bit disappointing as this option allows for the highest possible speed for a pocket-size external hard drive. On the plus side, it has a capacity gauge. It's just a ballpark measurement with four blocks that glow white as you gobble up another 80GB of space. And when not in use, the gauge can be slid to the side to cover the ports, protecting them from dust.
The drive ships with two data cables (FireWire 400 and USB 2.0), a quick setup poster, and a velour string purse. The drive is bus-powered. You just have to plug it into a Mac and it works. Preformatted for OS X, the My Passport Studio needs to be reformatted for use with Windows. This is a very simple process that requires a few mouse clicks using Windows' built-in disk-management utility.
The My Passport Studio is the first pocket-size external hard drive that doesn't come with a power port. This means it relies entirely on the power provided by the computer's port. We didn't run into any instances where the drive failed to operate, but we suspect there might be some computers, especially older computers with USB 1.1 ports, that don't provide enough juice to operate the drive. While the chance of the drive not working with your computer is low, if you can, it's a good idea to test the drive with your laptop before purchasing it.
Western Digital My Passport Studio
Cost per gigabyte
At $185, the My Passport Studio serves up its 320GB of capacity at a competitive 58 cents per gigabyte, trailing the SimpleTech Signature Mini Black Cherry and Maxtor OneTouch 4 Mini by 2 cents.
| Model | Capacity | Est. street price | Cost per GB |
| SimpleTech Signature Mini Black Cherry | 320GB | $160 | 56 cents |
| Maxtor OneTouch 4 Mini | 160GB | $90 | 56 cents |
| WD My Passport Studio | 320GB | $185 | 58 cents |
| Iomega eGo Portable Hard Drive | 160GB | $100 | 63 cents |
| OWC Mercury On-The-Go | 500GB | $350 | 70 cents |
| Toshiba USB 2.0 Portable External HDD | 160GB | $140 | 88 cents |
| G-Tech G-Drive mini Triple (7200RPM) | 200GB | $270 | $1.35 |