Roundup: Our favorite external hard drives
Justin Yu,
April 1, 2009
Portable external hard drives are a quick, inexpensive way to quickly back up data, take it on the go, and transfer it to another computer. As they become more of a commodity for jet-setting professionals, students, entrepreneurs, and vacation travelers, the days of the boring slate gray drives are long gone- you can now pick between a spread of beautiful colors, creative designs, and innovative features, but we understand the buying process isn't easy, so here's a list of our favorite portable external hard drives that will help your decision.
| Product name | ||||||
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| Price | $74.99 to $144.55 | $100.00 | $128.07 | Check Prices | $187.63 to $201.99 | Check Prices |
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| Review date | September 26, 2008 | June 18, 2008 | July 11, 2008 | June 12, 2008 | December 03, 2008 | November 14, 2008 |
| The Bottom Line | The Seagate FreeAgent Go is our favorite portable hard drive to date and takes our award for Editors' Choice. The drive is well designed and fast, and you won't find a better value for the price. | The impenetrable Maxtor Black Armor is the Fort Knox of external hard drives, but the added security comes at a hefty price tag. This device might appeal to those who need the most protection possible, but the competition offers more space for less money. | The eGo Camo portable hard drive is Iomega's first attempt at a "ruggedized" drive--it can withstand a beating thanks to its Power Grip band. Despite it lacking a few accessories, you'll be satisfied with its competitive price and quick transfer speeds. | Whether you use a Mac or a PC, the 320GB Western Digital My Passport Studio is the perfect compact external drive with a low cost per GB, a compact design, decent performance, and a surprisingly lengthy warranty. | We're impressed by the Lenovo ThinkPad USB Secure Hard Drive's burly security features and rigorous performance results, but the bloated price tag prevents us from recommending it to anyone other than business consumers. If you're shopping for an external hard drive, competing drives give you a cheaper cost per gigabyte in a fancier package. | The Iomega eGo Helium is a cost-effective solution for MacBook Air users who need additional data storage and don't want to sacrifice form for function. |
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| Features | ||||||
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 3.1 in x 5.1 in x 0.5 in | 3.32 in x 0.67 in x 5.17 in | Info unavailable | 3.1 in x 5 in x 0.6 in | 3.5 in x 4.8 in x 0.9 in | 3.5 in x 4.7 in x 0.6 in |
| Capacity | 320 GB | 160 GB | 250 GB | 320 GB | 320 GB | 320 GB |
| Storage Controller | None External - USB 2.0 | None | None | Info unavailable | None External - Hi-speed USB 2.0 | None |
| Power Source | USB bus | USB bus | USB bus Additional USB | USB bus FireWire bus | USB bus | USB bus |
| Type | Hard drive - External hard drive | Hard drive - External hard drive | Hard drive - External hard drive | Hard drive - External hard drive | Hard drive - External hard drive | Hard drive - External hard drive |
| Weight | 5.6 oz | 7.2 oz | Info unavailable | 6.3 oz | 6.8 oz | 7 oz |
| OS Required | Microsoft Windows Vista Business SP1 Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition SP2 Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP2 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic SP1 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition SP2 | Microsoft Windows Vista Business Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Microsoft Windows XP Professional Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition | Apple MacOS X 10.1 or later Microsoft Windows Vista / 2000 / XP | Apple MacOS X 10.5.2 or later Apple MacOS X 10.4.11 or later Microsoft Windows Vista / 2000 / XP | Microsoft Windows Vista Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or later | Apple MacOS X 10.1.5 or later Microsoft Windows Vista / 2000 / XP |
| Product Description | FreeAgent Go - Hard drive - 320 GB - Hi-Speed USB | Maxtor BlackArmor Hard drive - 160 GB - Hi-Speed USB | Iomega eGo Portable Hard drive - 250 GB - Hi-Speed USB | My Passport Studio WDMS3200 - Hard drive - 320 GB - IEEE 1394 (FireWire) / Hi-Speed USB | Lenovo ThinkPad USB Portable Secure Hard Drive - Hard drive - 320 GB - Hi-Speed USB | Iomega eGo Helium Portable Hard Drive Hard drive - 320 GB - Hi-Speed USB |
| Interface Type | Hi-Speed USB | Hi-Speed USB | Hi-Speed USB | IEEE 1394 (FireWire) / Hi-Speed USB | Hi-Speed USB | Hi-Speed USB |
| Manufacturer Warranty | 5 years warranty | 5 years warranty | Info unavailable | 5 years warranty | 3 years warranty | 2 years warranty |
| Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications |
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