PiDrive Raspberry Pi HDD from Western Digital gives the little PC big storage

By Jon Martindale Published September 10, 2015

western digital pidrive 1tb storage raspberry pi wdpidrive — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Although Raspeberry Pi computers tend to be used for quite small and simple tasks, which are well suited to their (relatively) low powered hardware, that doesn’t mean some of those functions couldn’t be augmented by a hardware upgrade. Traditionally USB drives and SD cards have offered gigabytes of space to Pi users, but Western Digital wants to up the ante, with a newly compatible one terabyte hard drive, known as the PiDrive.

Of course this wouldn’t be news if this HDD wasn’t a little bit different than your average storage drive. It comes without the usual SATA interface desktop and laptop users are used to, and instead employs a modified USB 3.0 header which allows for a direct connection to the Pi’s USB port. Better yet, it also hooks up to the power port and the power adaptor, which means that you can power both the drive and Pi from the same source, with a single cable.

Recommended Videos

It also has a built in 4GB MicroSD card to handle an operating system if desired and supports both the Raspberry Pi Model B+ and the Pi 2 Model B.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

But of course this isn’t the first time that an enterprising hacker has put together a Pi that boots from or can store information to a hard drive. Traditionally though, a powered USB hub was required to provide data transfer and power to the drive. By removing that need and giving the Pi a new powerbrick in the same breath, it makes a newly equipped Pi much neater.

If you’re still on the fence, the guys over at ProjectPi gave it a sterling thumbs up and they even have a 35 percent discount code (WDPiDrive111) for U.S. and U.K. customers, bringing the standard $80 price tag down to a very reasonable $52 plus shipping.

Topics

Evergreen writer

Jon Martindale is a freelance evergreen writer and occasional section coordinator, covering how to guides, best-of lists, and…

Computing

Windows PCs now works with the Quest 3, and I tried it out for myself

i tried windows new mixed reality link with my quest 3 alan truly sits in front of a pc and adjusts virtual screen while wear

Microsoft and Meta teamed up on a new feature that lets me use my Windows PC while wearing a Quest 3 or 3S, and it’s super easy to connect and use. I simply glance at my computer and tap a floating button to use Windows in VR on large displays only I can see.

Meta’s new Quest 3 and 3S are among the best VR headsets for standalone gaming and media consumption. When I want more performance or need to run one of the best Windows apps that aren’t yet available in VR, I can connect to a much more powerful Windows PC.
Setting up Mixed Reality Link
Scanning Microsoft's Mixed Reality Link QR code with a Meta Quest 3 Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital Trends

Mobile

How to transfer your books from Goodreads to StoryGraph

Front page of a book on Onyx BOOX Go 10.3 tablet.

Goodreads has been the only game in town for Android and iOS book-tracking for a long time now, and like most monopolies, it has grown old and fat. Acquired by Amazon in 2013, avid book readers have had lots to complain about in recent years, with the service languishing unloved, with no serious updates and an aging interface. It's been due some serious competition for a long time, and lo and behold, some has arrived. StoryGraph is a book-tracking app that offers everything you'll find on Goodreads but with an algorithm that lets you know about what you might love, and adds features any bibliophile will know are essential — like a Did Not Finish list.

Computing

I played Black Myth: Wukong on the new MSI handheld to prove it was possible

Black Myth: Wukong running on the MSI Claw 8 AI+.

I scoffed when MSI put the Claw 8 AI+ in my hands with Black Myth: Wukong selected. I'd spent 80 hours in the game on my full desktop packing an RTX 4090, and I knew just how demanding the game was. It's a pipedream for a handheld gaming PC.

I pressed Continue and loaded up at the Pool of Shattered Jade rest point -- the ideal spot to farm; if you know, you know -- and proceeded to run up to the cocoons spotted around the area, unleash my spirit ability, and run back. Sitting in a dimly-lit New York City bar, I continued the loop a few more times. I'd done plenty of farming in the game before.