It seems like everyone is getting a netbook these days, wherein they greatly increase mobility, but making the transition from a desktop PC to a netbook can often be tedious, especially when transferring files, this is also true when using multiple operating systems such as Windows and Macintosh. The 500GB Portable External Hard Drive by Toshiba provides the ideal solution. It is USB powered, so you don't have to go searching for a AC outlet. The drive powers up whenever it connects to a USB port. It is both Windows and Macintosh compatible, so no matter if you are using a MacBook or a netbook, you can easily retrieve you files with just plug and play simplicity. It even features an internal shock sensor and ramp loading technology, which helps protect the drive from those unexpected bumps while being transported. The spacious 500GB Hard Drive can hold up to 142,000 digital photos or 131,000 digital music files, in which Toshiba has also integrated a Drive Space Alert feature, which will notify if you are running out of space, so it doesn't happen unexpected. And there is also a File & Folder backup recovery to maintain all of these precious files so there is no accidently deletion. If you are using Windows, there is a complete system backup and recovery, so there is no need to panic if your notebook or PC is infected with a virus. Whether you use this hard drive to back-up your computer or carry apps and assets from your desktop to notebook, this Toshiba HDDR500E04XL 500GB Portable External Hard Drive offers plenty of storage to tackle both. USB Powered for portability Capable of storing up to 142,000 digital photos, or 131,000 digital music files, or 410 downloaded digital movies Transfer Rate - Up to 480 Mb/s Speed - 5,400 RPM Average Seek Time - 12ms Cache Buffer - 8MB In the box - Toshiba Portable External Hard Drive (preloaded with backup software) USB 2.0 Cable Quick Install Guid