Western Digital is shipping two new USB 2.0 external hard drives called the WD Passport, claiming they are ruggedized for extreme data security. The drives are rated to be able to handle 250 Gs of shock while spun up and 900 Gs when not operating (an unannounced DJ Jazzy Jeff version will be rated to 5000 Gs, says a fake source). They’re a bit spendy at $200 for 40GB and $250 for the 80GB version, but if they are really as able to be knocked about as they say, it might be worth the extra money.
I’m in the market for an external drive, but I still can’t decide if I want ‘cheap and big’ or ‘small and expensive.’ Considering there is more travel in my future, I’m thinking the latter—sadly, these WD Passports won’t be shipping until Christmas Eve.
Western Digital WD Passport Rugged Pocket Storage [MobileMag]
