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WD My Passport portable drives for Mac (photos)

Western Digital introduced two new portable drives for Mac, the My Passport Studio and My Passport for Mac. Both drives boast sleek-looking housing, portable design, and USB 2.0 connection. The Studio also features two FireWire 800 ports.

Dong Ngo

CNET editor Dong Ngo has been involved with technology since 2000, starting with testing gadgets and writing code for CNET Labs' benchmarks. He now manages CNET San Francisco Labs, reviews 3D printers, networking/storage devices, and also writes about other topics from online security to new gadgets and how technology impacts the life of people around the world.

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Dong Ngo

Sept. 22, 2011 5:00 a.m. PT

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The My Passport Studio and My Passport for Mac are the latest portable drives from Western Digital. They are both designed for Mac, though can be easily reformatted to work with Windows. The My Passport Studio boasts a scratch resistant, all-metal design, provides multiple connectivity options (FireWire and USB 2.0), and also features encryption and password-protection software.

The My Passport for Mac, on the other hand, features just one USB 2.0 port and is housed in a durable and slim enclosure. WD says it's designed for Mac users who need high-capacity storage in an ultracompact and lightweight design.

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When put side by side, the My Passport for Mac is significantly slimmer than the My Passport Studio.

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The My Passport Studio features an all-metal casing that's sturdy and scratch-resistant. It comes in three capacities: 500GB, 750GB, and 1TB, that are slated to cost $130, $160, and $180, respectively.

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Aside from the USB 2.0 port, it also has two FireWire 800 ports, making it a good fit for power users, such as photographers who need a high-speed portable storage to use on the go. The reason the drive doesn't feature USB 3.0 is because Macs don't currently support USB 3.0.

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The My Passport for Mac, though less sturdy, is also very sleek-looking. It's also supercompact...

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...and slim.

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The My Passport for Mac features only a USB 2.0 port. WD says it makes a perfect companion for the owners of the MacBook Air, which generally comes with limited internal storage space. It features 500GB and 750GB capacities that cost $100 and $120, respectively.