500Gb 500 Gb 2.5 Inch External Hard Drive Portable Usb 2.0 Inc. One Touch Software - Black

I purchased 4 Bipra Hard drives for "archive" purposes, because I like the backwards compatibility to USB-1 computers -- which some people still have -- and USB-3 "forward compatibility". I also needed to "mirror" video data across "multiple drives". For people needing "multiple" "small drives" -- to archive data -- in "mirrored pairs" -- then this drive seems to be a good value. Here is what I have think I have learned:Bipra 250GB External Portable Hard Drive.Our purchases appear to have (Seagate) ST925031 1CS 250 Gigabyte hard drives -- according to OSX Disk Utility.Bipra claims to have a relationship with several "name brand" manufactures, so it is fair to assume the "brand" of the internal hard drive may vary. Since an "archive drive" is intended to sit, in a safe place, with minimal use -- for many years -- "brand" is not an issue. Backward and Forward Compatibility is an issue.The hard drive "enclosure case" (I assume made by Bipra) felt "solid" and did not feel "cheap". Assuming there actually is a "name brand" hard drive inside, I feel this drive is a good value -- with compatibly. Bipra offers 1 year warranty on this product.CABLES:USB-2 POWER & DATA CABLE:(Standard USB-2 connector and Mini-USB connector)Compatible with computers having USB-1, USB-2 and USB-3 ports.This cable DOES supply power to drive, and,You may power the drive with ONLY this cable -- according to Bipra support staff.Under their advisement, I powered these units for several days with only this cable.I found data transfer to be USB-2 speed -- with sustained data integrity.USB-1-POWER ONLY CABLE:(Standard USB connector and Tip-and-Ring “Post” connector)Provides additional power for drive.Per Bipra support, use ONLY if computer will not power-up hard drive using only the USB-2 Power & Data Cable (above).I assume this cable is mainly for USB-1 (Windows 98 vintage) computers. If in doubt, at least you have it to use.(TINY) “OTB” BUTTON ON HARD DRIVE:OTB BUTTON: (One Touch Backup) Used in conjunction with1) Bipra One Touch Software AND2) Only when drive is formatted as Windows FAT32.Assume that if hard drive is re-formatted as either Windows NTFS or Mac OSX and the “OTB” feature is not applicable.I successfully re-formatted to both Windows NTFS and Mac OS Extended.PROTECTIVE CASE:The case is not just “decorative” – but is appears to be “protective” -- (I assume) against 1) static discharge and 2) impact. I also assume -- you should always use caution while handling any hard drive. Touch metal (grounded) surface before handling hard drive; and, Do not drop hard drive; and, Do not transport with cable(s) attached. I know of NO "high impact resistant" claims associated with this drive (and do not trust any such claims on any drive anyway).Why Only Four Stars:Documentation on company and product is very hard to find. The "name brand" hard drive inside may vary. There was no enclosed documentation in the packages. The packaging was fragile -- and tricky to open without damage to the packaging (in case you want to return it). I did get a quick response by email from Bipra -- answering all my questions. I can not "endorse" this product -- or any hard drive -- however, I will most likely buy it again -- for "archive purposes" -- where a "small hard drive" is needed -- in quantity of 2 or more (for mirroring / cloning video). Since I purchased 4 of these units -- for archiving (mirroring) the same data -- I feel good about the over-all integrity of both the hardware and data -- as an "archive" -- and the "value". I would NOT buy any USB-2 drive for "daily use" nor any drive under 1Tb -- at this time -- due to price-per-gigabyte-per-speed value.About BIPRA LIMITED LLC (per Amazon.com)Bipra Limited is a major supplier of PC compatible computer components and peripherals across the UK & USA, supplying thousands of end users, students, public and private sector companies, central government offices and education providers each year with quality products and services at highly competitive prices.BIPRA LIMITED LLC114 Trumpet Brook RoadWaterbury, CT 06708Phone :+1 203 608 8315Link: http://www.bipra.com/If you find I have made an error in my evaluation, or if you have a comment, please contact me [email protected] orhttp://www.film-to-video.com

Pluses for this 1000gb drive: 1.Case seems sturdy(I haven't dropped it.). 2.Comes with a USB and a power cable. 3.Comes with a soft pouch to carry it. Minuses: 1.Cables are short.Power & USB 31.2 in.(79cm). 2. The micro USB is one of those pinched end exclusive style plugs. 3. At plug in I had 0.91gb available which seems an excessively low amount. 4. The pouch only just covers the case but not the end. I am using the drive with a smart phone and a Micca brand media player I bought through Amazon.I power it with a micro USB host otg cable with micro USB power that I paid Amazon $1.02 for. I have used it as long as 3 hours and it only got a little warm. So no major issues yet .Just my personal feelings on the above discussed . Would I get another? The issues I have wouldn't prevent me from doing so.(Update: I bought a 2nd drive because I was satisfied with the 1st. However it came only after the shipping date was changed 3 times. Plus I was told it had shipped when it hadn't. So make up your mind as to that.)

I don't know what the specs are for keeping this hard drive happy but I probably did it wrong. Kept in a fireproof safe in a shed for 18 months - it gets hot out there (100+ F). Plus I realized that the safe was trapping a lot of moisture. So I just tried to use this puppy again for a Time Machine backup and it's corrupted. Probably my fault. But, in this day and age, I expect some warning stickers about how to not ruin my electronic investment!

For those of you scrambling to find an external hard drive for your Wii U before the eShop closes, this is it. I connected it, turned on the Wii U and the console immediately asked if I wanted to format the drive. Ten seconds later, I was good to go. The drive comes with an extra cable, so you can tap a second USB port for power, as Nintendo suggests. The price is right, the time is NOW ... go for it!

This is garbage. It worked well at first. I was able to backup a bunch of stuff. Now, it won't stay connected during a transfer so I can't store anything on it. It's well past it's warranty and the company won't take it back. Who builds a external drive that randomly disconnects from your computer? Birpa. I can't store stuff on it and the stuff that's on there I can't get off without it crashing the whole computer. Be smart, buy a better brand of drive. I've tried multiple brands. Western Digital is still the most reliable. Seagate is alright. Birpa is the worst of the worst. I only gave it two stars because it worked well in the beginning.

Product works as expected and ready for use! A+ with product performance so far! Ready to take a beating from a college student!**********UPDATE**********The hard drive is still going strong, I keep it in my backpack at school which I'm sure is not the safest place for it. The end cap for this broke off (mainly my fault probably) but it is still held on by one screw. I think the design for the case could have been better because the the screws merely put pressure on the cap instead of screwing into it causing it to slip and break easier. the storage on these things are amazing for their size. I have hardly made a dent in the capacity that this can hold. Great product overall, still has five stars in my book.

As annoying as it is to have a new produce DIE in less than 30 days, it was reassuring that Amazon and Bipra replaced it without question. Here's hoping that it was only a one-off event!

This little hard drive is so easy to use. I just plugged it into 2 USB ports, one for power and one for data transfer, and it was ready to go. It easily backed up all of my PC info and has lots of room left over to back up family pictures. It is small in size and comes with a soft pocket type cover to protect the finish. This was my first ever external hard drive so I was a little nervous shopping and buying for fear of making a mistake. I am glad I found this Bipra portable, it is perfect for what I needed. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for an easy to use portable external hard drive at a decent price.

Not bad still working so far. Although to my surprise I had to pay extra to receive this product at the Post Office. Be aware of this when you buy. There was no warning about extra payment at the post office for me.

It was great while it worked, but it broke down pretty fast (a month or two). I dropped it once, yes, I admit, but something of this size should be made to withstand a few drops. I'm not sure that drop is what killed it anyway, because it worked for a week or so after the unfortunate event. Then, suddenly, in the middle of playing a movie off it, the movie froze and quit as if I unplugged the damn thing and something started rattling around the inside of the drive.So, to summarise - if you're lucky, it'll not break for you and it will actually be a decent product (4 or 5 stars). Unfortunately, it broke for me and I cannot say how common an occurence it is.

I didn't do a lot of research before buying this but it didn't matter as it is very good and I am pleased with it.Positives:1. Looks stylish2. Is nice and small and compact3. Works relatively fast... (backed up my PS3 (80GB) in 2 hours and transferred it to my PC in 30mins)4. It works quietly5. It didn't over heat6. The light flashes to let you know when its transferring.Negatives:1. The felt protective case it comes in collects more dust than a vacuum cleaner2. The instructions are far more confusing than it needs to be (its actually very simple, just a big USB stick witch uses 2 USB ports)3. You have to have 2 USB ports (not a problem for most, unless you want to back up info on a very old PC)4. It only has 149GB so if you need to transfer 150 - 160 GB then go bigger.

at first when i brought the HDD in 2012 it was working ok until it broke down some months ago. when i connected the device on my laptop, it popped a message saying device has exceeded its power surge. i then realised the usb interface on the HDD is 2.0 and would not work on the new usb 3.0 upgrade on my laptop. i contacted the seller explaining the problem and (though the guys at first was not very helpful and tried to put the blame on my laptop and one service rep guy had no clue what to do with less satisfactory customer service) tried to resolve the problem by sending me a new enclosure but it did not work because the enclosure they sent was a 2.0 usb interface. dont bother buying any HDD from Bipra as its cheaply made. i lost data... but thank goodness i did not delete data from my laptop so that i can transfer files again to a new HDD. better of getting a seagate HDD which i did at the end and its brilliant

The first HDD to arrive was DOA so naturally I was very disappointed although not surprised as it was very cheap and I thought I had got a real good deal. I submitted the DOA paperwork on Amazon, sent the HDD back, the next day I received an acknowledgement and the following day a new HDD arrived.The second HDD worked fine with no problems at all.I can't fault the customer services for speed and no fuss... I will certainly buy from them again and realise that from time to time, things are DOA, but it is how the company deals with that issue is the most important thing.