Western Digital WDBAAF0015HBK-NESN 1.5TB My Book USB 2.0

The Western Digital My Book Essential WDBAAF0015HBK-NESN is a desktop external hard drive built around a straightforward premise: plug it in, install the bundled WD SmartWare software, and let it handle your backups automatically. With 1.5TB of storage, it offers enough room for a substantial library of documents, photos, music, and video files. The 256-bit hardware encryption runs at the drive level, so password-protecting your data doesn't impose a performance penalty on read and write operations.

Where this drive shows its age is the USB 2.0 interface. With a theoretical maximum of 480 Mbps, initial backups of large data sets will take considerably longer than they would on a USB 3.0 drive. For users who plan to back up incrementally—adding new and changed files over time—this limitation is less of an issue, since daily backup volumes tend to be modest. The upright desktop enclosure is compact and quiet, though it does require a wall outlet for its AC adapter, making it best suited as a stationary backup station rather than a travel companion.