Western Digital Elements External Hard Drives: 1TB Portable USB 3.0 HDD $64, 2TB USB 2.0 HDD $84, 3TB USB 2.0 HDD $104 After Rebates

Im too lazy to check these drives to see if it still has embedded encryption but if it does it a really nice feature to have that embedded and you want to keep your files very private. Don't forget the password though. Impossible to crack without PW.

Quote from BrokenVisage : Dammit, 3TB OOS.

Still showing up in stock for me, weird

Quote from TofuVic : Elements is a portable external hard drive, whereas the MyBook is a desktop external hard drive. "Portable" and "desktop" refers to the external hard drive sizes. In general, another popular term is "ultra portable," which is the smallest of the three; "desktop" drives are the largest. Hope this helps, Tofu Vic

this is not correct, Element from WD comes in both portable and desktop. The deal on this page, only the 1TB is portable, the other are 3.5 drives and require a power brick.

Quote from ncguy77 : Im too lazy to check these drives to see if it still has embedded encryption but if it does it a really nice feature to have that embedded and you want to keep your files very private. Don't forget the password though. Impossible to crack without PW.

No, the elements are just the drive only. Only the My book or the passport comes with backup and encryption software.

you could use something like Truecrypt to encrypt any drive though.

Quote from Steeldeals : Just to clarify, WD Elements drives are available in BOTH "portable" and "desktop" versions. The models in this deal include both types, so there's potential for confusion.

Quote from sr71 : not quite, Elements come in desktop 3.5" models too as in the case of the 3 and 2TB listed here

Quote from darkhunter : this is not correct, Element from WD comes in both portable and desktop. The deal on this page, only the 1TB is portable, the other are 3.5 drives and require a power brick.

Thank you for the corrections. It was my carelessness that was at fault. I actually have purchased Elements drives in both form factors, but when I was posting the reply earlier, was only considering the 1TB Elements drive.

I have given you all reputation points for your help,
Tofu Vic

Hmmm... On the fence about the 3TB. Could work nicely in backing-up my entire 2TB Synology NAS (which itself has two 2TB mirrored drives).

Right now I'm using an external 500GB 2.5" Toshiba drive. Doing so forces me to pick and choose which NAS folders to back-up.

Based on the previous price history $105 shipped AR (for CA), isn't bad at all.

Amazon average since April 2011: $200
Newegg average since April 2011: $162

Pull the trigger?????

Quote from yourameh : I want to get it but the rebate is a serious killer. Especially from semi-scammy TD

I agree. I'm not playing the TD rebate game. I just loss just lost out on another rebate from them. Them claimed that I didn't include the UPC label, but I have the box right here and there's no UPC label on it, because I mailed the original in.!@!!!

Really good deal - still waiting for usb 3.0 at this price to make me jump at it.

Quote from bouroboros : Anyone with children, please do something similar. Take it to your parents' or a friend's home, or store it in a safety deposit box at your bank, but don't lose those pictures.

True that. Here's what I do with 9yrs of digital pix plus 3yrs of HD video starting from the most recent birth! (ok, that was probably TMI) ...

All pixs & vids copied from the device's sticks to a desktop HDD with some basic organization (pix on wife's PC, vids on mine). Back all that up to a NAS in RAID1 -- recently moved from WD-proprietary-BS NAS to DIY Black Friday monster NAS/media server. That puts everything on 3HDDs, but not out of the house (or the woods) yet so ... soon, from new NAS, back *that* up to at least one ext 3TB and sock it away in a firesafe or work or mom's house, etc.

Short of an atomic bomb in my city, those records are never disappearing.

any of these thunderbolt compatible?

When do I get the discount? at checkout I get 90$ + 7$ total for the 1TB.

thanks OP, got a 3tb

Would it be better to just get the 1TB passport for $75 ($25 off coupon) from microcenter?

I was in the market for a USB hard drive to attach to my Wii for homebrew. Will the 500GB USB 3.0 work for this? I have a Thermaltake BlacX that I am using now and would like something in an enclosure. Thanks.

Quote from George_II : I agree. I'm not playing the TD rebate game. I just loss just lost out on another rebate from them. Them claimed that I didn't include the UPC label, but I have the box right here and there's no UPC label on it, because I mailed the original in.!@!!!

Did you tape the UPC to the form or a blank piece of paper?