This is usb 3.1 gen 1 according to the website. why does it say usb 3.2 gen 1 here?

USB 3.2 gen 1x1 (often shortened to 3.2 gen 1) is exactly the same as USB 3.1 gen 1, which is exactly the same as USB 3.0. And I do mean EXACTLY the same technical specs, just relabeled; this is a 5 Gb/s interface. To get a 10 Gb/s interface you need to use USB 3.2 gen 2x1 (often shortened to 3.2 gen 2), which exactly the same as USB 3.1 gen 2. To get a 20 Gb/s interface you need to use USB 3.2 gen 2x2, which has no USB 3.1 equivalent. (You'd think the USB folks would have a marketing dept that would tell them what a mess they were making!)

can I download from a Sandisk disk to the hardrive?

If I understand the question, can you move files from the SanDisk to another drive? yes, you can It is very easy to do so and you can move files from another HD to the SanDisk. Hope that helps.

Does thiis drive come formatted for Mac or Windws ?

It is not formatted for win 10, and it is not recognized on my win 10 laptop! My iPad Pro does not have the capability to reformat this drive. You need to be an IT tech to figure out how to get win 10 to see the drive, let alone format it. I am not pleased!

What is distinction between mechanical hard disk for this product and portable for other external drives?

There are mechanical or “spinning” disks, referred to as internal or portable drives. An internal hard drive is generally more delicate in the sense that the reader mechanism floats above the spinning disk, which is sufficient for non-portable (i.e. internal hard drives). This is why a sharp hit to a computer or laptop while the non solid state drive (non-SSD) is active will most likely cause the disk and the drive head (reader mechanism) to collide or crash, thus destroying your hard drive. On the other hand, a portable hard drive built with portability in mind and are less susceptible to bumps or knocks but could still cause a disk “crash” if it is dropped while the read mechanism is writing or reading to/from the portable disk drive. However, these portable drives would/should be less susceptible to a bump or somewhat less careful treatment than an internal hard drive while it’s running. From the durability standpoint against bumps and knocks, an SSD should be more rugged and reliable than even the portable drive. You quite naturally pay extra for the SSD as its data exchange rate is generally much faster and you pay significantly more for a larger capacity SSD storage device than internal or portable hard drives. You are unlikely to be able purchase a 1TB SSD let alone a 5TB SSD for the same cost as the 5TB portable drive my comments relate here. Someday, someone will make a better, more durable, faster, and contain more storage space in a “next-gen drive” that will cost similar to the portable 5TB drive you are have questions expressed in this forum.

Brand	SanDisk Professional
Product Dimensions	13.21 x 8.79 x 3 cm; 349.27 g
Item model number	SDPH81G-005T-GBAND
Manufacturer	SanDisk
Series	G-DRIVE
Colour	Black
Form Factor	2.5-inch
Hard Drive Size	5 TB
Hard Disk Description	Mechanical Hard Disk
Hard Drive Interface	USB-C
Power Source	Hand-operated
Hardware Platform	Mac
Are Batteries Included	No
Item Weight	349 g
Guaranteed software updates until	unknown

SanDisk Professional 5TB G-DRIVE ArmorATD, Dust, Drop, Shock and Water resistant, portable rugged external HDD for MAC, Up to 135MB/s, USB-C, USB 3.2 Gen 1, Thunderbolt 3

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