Western Digital has decided to make available larger capacities for the My Passport line of portable USB drives, hitting the 500GB mark for folks who have plenty of data to tote about without being weighed down by size and weight. Available on My Passport Elite and My Passport Essential portable drive models, both of them will tip the scales at under 7 ounces and were specially designed to hold out on their own against the rigors of everyday use. Judging by their weight alone, you can tell that they’re small enough to slip into your pocket or backpack comfortably, and since it is bus-powered, you don’t have to worry about toting an additional power supply although you might have to rethink how you’re going to reorganize the use of your USB ports on the computer.

Other unique features of both the My Passport Elite and My Passport Essential include synchronization software that lets users sync their changes and protect their information with 128-bit encryption as well as plug-and-play capability with gaming consoles to make it easy to play music and view photos and video files on a TV. You won’t fall short of choices when it comes to colors though as the fashion-savvy My Passport Essential portable drives will have 11 different shades for you to choose from.

Each purchase will come with a 5-year limited warranty and powerful automatic backup software to keep your mind at peace, knowing that your data is safe at all times if you backup religiously. Interestingly enough, these new models also come with a capacity gauge that makes it easier to know just how much more space you have without turning on the computer. The 400GB and 500GB capacities will be priced from $179.99 to $219.99, depending on the model. 160GB, 250GB and 320GB are the capacities you can choose from if you don’t have the budget for larger sized models as mentioned.

Press Release