Justin Yu,
December 12, 2008
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 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $99.99 to $149.99 | $59.99 to $119.99 | $94.99 to $109.99 | $118.99 to $322.21 | $219.00 | $123.70 to $137.64 |
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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 | ||||||
| Spindle speed |
5400 rpm |
5400 rpm |
Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
5400 rpm |
Info unavailable |
| Hard drive size |
320 GB |
160 GB |
250 GB |
320 GB |
320 GB |
320 GB |
| Enclosure type |
External |
Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
External |
Info unavailable |
| Weight |
5.6 oz |
7.2 oz |
Info unavailable |
6.3 oz |
6.8 oz |
7.1 oz |
| Device Type |
Hard drive |
Hard drive |
Hard drive |
Hard drive |
Hard drive |
Hard drive |
| Interface type |
Hi-Speed USB |
Hi-Speed USB |
Hi-Speed USB |
IEEE 1394 (FireWire) / Hi-Speed USB |
Hi-Speed USB |
Hi-Speed USB |
| Form factor |
2.5" |
2.5" |
Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
| OS Required |
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic SP1 Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP2 Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition SP2 Microsoft Windows Vista Business SP1 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition SP2 |
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Microsoft Windows Vista Business Microsoft Windows XP Professional Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate 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 Microsoft Windows Vista / 2000 / XP Apple MacOS X 10.4.11 or later |
Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or later Microsoft Windows Vista |
Apple MacOS X 10.1.5 or later Microsoft Windows Vista / 2000 / XP |
| Manufacturer Warranty |
5 years warranty |
5 years warranty |
Info unavailable |
5 years warranty |
3 years warranty |
1 year warranty |
| Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications |
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