External Hard Drives

Everybody is aware of the fact that we should back up our computers but, rather like cleaning the hardly used loo, it is something that most of us choose to put off until tomorrow or often, never. However, the lightweight external hard drives are making life a lot easier for us procrastinators and there are drives out there that make the whole concept of backup very simple, so that, it does not feel like a chore. Whether you are gathering footage of a cycling trip, taking photos in the mountains or just running for a train in the morning, there is always that nagging possibility that your external hard disk will take a few too many knocks and you will lose everything. Freecom’s ToughDrive range aims to ease that risk for outdoor types, with a durable casing that can withstand drops. In the following review we see about the FreeCom ToughDrive Sport, let us see if you can stand your adventurous life.

Design:

The FreeCom ToughDrive Sport Hard Drive has a ridiculous outdoor sports styling, you will love it or hate it. This USB powered portable drive possesses an intelligent piece of design; you just need to look past the fact that FreeCom seems to be suggesting it is a climbing accessory. For instance, the built in rope styled USB lead clips away neatly and gets attached to the drive, so theoretically, you will never lose it. The case itself is not as rubberised as we would have liked but does feel like it could absorb knocks and scrapes with ease. It features a stylish red and black design with a hole at the top end to thread the supplied karabiner clip though, as a secure way to carry it on a belt or bag. The red and black USB plug slots cleanly into the case, giving the whole thing very smooth lines. The makers obviously envisage you climbing with the thing attached to your belt. There’s a brushed metal ring which you can thread your rope through in one corner – hence the carabiner.

So, why is it named Sport? It certainly looks sporty. The red and black design hints at Formula 1 which what seems to be a carrying handle appears to be a thin climbing rope. The climbing theme continues with the inclusion in the plastic package in which it arrives of a carabiner, one of those loops that people when scaling mountains. However, the large warning stamped into the carabiner - “NOT FOR CLIMBING” is very clear.

Installation:

Installation of the FreeCom ToughDrive Sport ultra portable external hard drive is extremely simple. As you would expect these days, this drive is a plug and play device. This kicks in the first time you plug the drive in, taking the form of a hard drive protection wizard that will walk you through the process of setting up a password for your data. The drive is compatible with both Windows and Mac Operating Systems, and the drive is available in capacities of 320GB, 500GB and 640GB. We tested the module in our Windows Vista Laptop. If you explore the drive, you find two installer applications: one for Macs and the other for PCs. This allows you to install any or all of the included software: a Turbo USB 2.0 driver, Adobe Reader, a 30-day trial of NTI Ripper, an auto-archiving application for digital music and a 90-day trial of CA’s MySecurityCenter anti-virus software.

Features:

Really Tough:
This 2.5″ protects data with a range of technology that includes an anti-shock mechanism, integrated USB cable and a toughened exterior that can allegedly withstand drops onto a hard surface from two meters.

Password Protection:
In addition to this exterior protection, FreeCom has equipped the device with a built in 256 bit password that should keep your data safe and sound if somebody nabs it. If you choose to make use of this feature, the password will be required any time the device is plugged in to access data or view the contents. In case you stuff up with the password and forget it, the only option is to reformat the drive, thereby erasing the contents to start again from scratch. Fortunately, encryption can be removed using the preloaded software which then allows the drive to be accessed as normal.

NTI Shadow back-up software:
FreeCom has also supplied the NTI Shadow back-up software, which allows you to create and modify backup jobs based on common file formats such as audio, video, photos and documents, or custom types and manual file or folder selection. Once installed, you can choose which files and folders to back up from a simple check-box listing. After choosing which files you want, you then decided how often you want to back up. This can be every time you make a change to a file in a selected folder, with a certain frequency, say every 10 minutes, or on a specific day at a specific time each week.

Other Software:
The application is quick and easy to configure and uses a wizard to walk through file selection and scheduling, with multiple-file version backups available if necessary. FreeCom has also included a trial version of NTI Ripper for grabbing tunes from audio CDs and MySecurityCenter Internet Security Suite, which includes anti-virus, firewall and anti-spam protection. As you might loose all these software if you have to format the drive after forgetting a password, Freecom encourages you to save it all to a local folder on your hard drive, and a small application is even provided to do this.

Performance:

As the name of the FreeCom ToughDrive Sport USB external hard drive suggests, its highlight feature is being durable. So, let us see here how far it does so. Despite subjecting the drive to numerous 2m drops, kicking it around vigorously in a rucksack and letting a toddler do his best to destroy it, there was no data corruption on our test files. We also dropped it mid-way through saving a large file with no ill effects.

With the Turbo USB driver installed, the manufacturers say that data transfer speeds of up to 480 Mbit per second are possible, although you will never reach this in practice. Since the ToughDrive Sport supports Turbo USB 2.0, it allegedly offers transfer speeds of up to 40 percent faster than the regular high speed USB devices, and this driver can be enabled from the software provided. With transferring speeds, the drive transfers 1GB data in 48 seconds with a regular connection dropped to 45 seconds with Turbo USB 2.0 enabled. Not quite the quoted 40 percent, but it is pretty fast anyway so we cannot see too many people complaining. It is still fast but perhaps one fifteenth of the theoretical maximum data rate.

Warranty:

FreeCom ToughDrive Sport External Hard Drive (320GB, 500GB, 640Gb) comes with two years manufacturer’s warranty for parts and labour.

Conclusion:

Computing and rock climbing are not natural bedfellows. But if they were, this rugged-looking ToughDrive Sport USB hard disk from Freecom may suggest itself as the very accessory you are looking for. If you are carrying data around with you on the move, it is usually prudent to invest in portable storage that is more rugged and durable than your average external hard drive. Typically, there will not be much of features in a tough external hard drive, so we were impressed to see attention to detail in additions like the auto-encryption, effective backup software and the range of other tools and applications provided here.

The drive strikes a good balance between being easy to configure and offering genuinely useful features and combines with a stylish, rugged design and choice of capacities from 320GB to 640GB to offer a solid all-round solution. As external hard drive packages go, Freecom has done a nice job of making the Toughdrive one of the most versatile and appealing on the market. At £130 exc VAT for 500GB it is certainly not cheap, though; non-rugged drives at this capacity will be around £100 or lower. As a portable durable data drive, then, it is one of the best at its price point. Just do not bother taking it up Kilimanjaro.

Check other Freecom External Hard Drive Reviews in this website.

FreeCom ToughDrive Sport (320GB, 500GB, 640Gb) - Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Freecom
Model Name	FreeCom ToughDrive Sport
Model Numbers	320GB: 31649 500GB: 31650 640GB: 33003
Colour/Finish	Black and Red
Type	Portable External Hard Drive
Form factor	2.5 inch
Dimensions (W x D x H)	6.1 x 3.15 x 0.83
Weight	260 Grams
Capacities Available	320GB, 500GB and 640GB
Interface	Turbo USB2.0
Hard disk type	2.5″ SATA, low noise, low power consumption
Data transfer rate	480 Mbps
Maximum Drop height	2 Metres free drop on fl at surface
Connectivity	Integrated USB 2.0 cable (30cm) with unique climbing rope texture
Spindle speed	5400
Cache	8MB
Seek time	12ms
Shock Resistant	Operating 300G, non-operating 1000G
Compatible OS	PC: Intel Pentium III / AMD Duron 900 MHz or higher, 256MB RAM (Vista: 512MB RAM) or higher, available USB 2.0 or USB 1.1 port, Windows 2000 / XP / Vista MAC: PowerPC G3/G4/G5, Power Book G3/G4 or Intel Mac, 256MB RAM or higher, available USB 2.0 or USB 1.1 port, Mac OS X v10.3 or higher
Software	Turbo USB 2.0 software MySecurityCentre Internet Security Suite
Power	USB bus powered, no power adapter required
Warranty	Two year warranty

A segment of the market where we have seen a lot of new entrants lately is External hard drives. One such entrant is Storage Appliance Corporation.  Formed in 2005, they have branded their hard drives under the name ‘ClickFree’. Their drives have combined great design as well as the latest of technologies available. This time we are reviewing one of their products the ClickFree HD1035.  This sleek and stylish drive needs no sort of software installation or configuring to backup. Does this also mean the user cannot control the backup settings? Absolutely not.  The drive is user modifiable giving the user control over backup settings.  The drive promises to be adept at backing up data, restoring lost files, transferring data as well as sharing data with friends. So does the drive live up to the brand’s mission of catering the needs of people for backing up data? Read on to find out.

Design:

Identical:
The peculiar thing about ClickFree drives is the fact that most models look alike.  Made up of brushed aluminium, the drive is capable of standing on its side or lies flat without any additional hardware. The model we reviewed was white in colour with 2 metallic covers at the top and bottom.  There are 2 Blue coloured LEDs on the upper right corner of the DVD.

Backup Button:
Another neat add to the design of the drive is the backup button on the drive. Pressing the button would automatically backup the entire data of the computer. It involves no other step and is the easiest way to backup data.

Dimensions:
The hard drive is roughly about the size of a cigar box. It measures (H x W x D) 47.5 x 4.5 x 1.5 inches and weighs roughly around 2 pounds. So, it can easily fit in a pocket and be carried around. This does make backing up data even more convenient.

Connectivity:
The ClickFree HD1035 Desktop Hard drive uses a mini USB connector which comes along with a cable that one could also use for host of devices such as cameras.  Had an eSATA port been present, the drive’s PC performance would have been greatly enhanced.

Features:

Incremental Backup:
The idea is simple. Instead of providing software to make copies of data, the company has put the backup software right on the disk that will be used for backing up data.  Unlike the Iomega eGo Brown Leather, the ClickFree drive does not need any effort to backup files. When plugged in, it finds all of the user files and stores them into the drive. Each time after that, it will back up the newer files or the ones that have been changed.

How it works:
When the drive is plugged in, it assigns 2 of the same file letters to the host drive: one for software’s executable file and another for drag and drop dumps. After the pre-installed proprietary software is launched, one can connect the drive to view details about the host and the drive contents. One can alter the settings to choose what files to backup and even specify sub folders to check for new files. There is an option to make a copy of the entire desktop drive. While we cannot copy files into the drive while a backup is in progress, the fact that the drive is capable of storing an entire Microsoft Outlook database including events, mail etc.

More about the drive:
While it does take some time for the first backup, the drive will take cut down the subsequent backup times to lesser than 5 minutes. Even if you delete files from your computer, the drive would not do the same, in case you might need it at a later time.

Organised:
Once all files are backed up, they are sorted according to the type of file extension. The pictures, the videos, the word documents, the spreadsheets, all those are arranged and organised.

Supports Several Formats:
The HD1035 is capable of backing up files of about 400 types such as photos, music, video, Microsoft Office documents, email and website data.  It even is capable of backing up XML formats from Office 2007.  There are some pretty uncommon file extensions such as .NEF as well.

Hassle Free:
Another pretty neat feature is that one can backup their Outlook database even while it is running. Consider that many drives require one to shut down the program in order to back up. It is an added hassle that most people would rather not deal with.

Memory:
The ClickFree HD1035 Drive has a capacity of 1TB which is a huge amount of space even by present standards. It can be used to store about 220,000 songs, twice the number of pictures and 10 times the documents. It uses a 3.5 inch drive with a spindle speed of 7200rpm.   The drive is compatible with Windows and Mac as well.

Issues?
There were little quibbles we had with the drive. For starters, one cannot decide on how the drive would back up data as.  Also, when one wants to update a file on the drive, ClickFree replaces the older one with the newer one.  Some backup software have the options to preserve older versions of the same file whereas ClickFree does not. As we did tell earlier, once you delete a file from the computer, the drive does not remove it. One needs to tell the software to delete them. Another issue we had is the fact that the drive dumps all restored files into one single folder, whereas there are drives that restore files into folders from which they were originally backed up.  However, they are minor issues for the majority of users who just want to backup their data.

Performance:

2 words: Simply Amazing. When we tested the drive against some of its rivals such as the drives from Maxtor, Seagate and Iomega, the drive had the best rates amongst them. With speeds of 25MBps read and 23MBps write, it is both friendly on the wallet as well as has great transfer speeds. How can we not like it?

Warranty:

There is a warranty of one year on the drive and is considered for exchange only if the original receipt with the date of purchase is produced.  While there is adequate support on the site present in the form of FAQs as well as toll free support lines, the drive would have been a better product had the warranty period been longer.

Verdict:

The ClickFree HD1035 is an excellent and cost effective choice for regular users as well as small businesses. It does backup files easily and stores a lot of different formats. Our issues with the drive are minor but if they do matter to you, you could choose drives like the Lenovo ThinkPad USB Secure drive.  Overall, if you want a hassle free way to store a lot of data, this is a great choice.

ClickFree HD1035 1TB External HDD - Technical specification Table

Manufacturer	Clickfree
Model Name	Clickfree HD1035 1TB
Form Factor	3.5″
Dimensions (H x W x D) in inches	7.5 x 4.5 x 1.5 inches
Capacity	1TB
Interface Type	Hi-Speed USB
Buffer Size	16MB
Interface Transfer Rate	480 Mbps
Spindle Speed	7200rpm
Interfaces	1 x Hi-Speed USB
Cables Included	1 x USB cable
Operating system supported	Microsoft Windows Vista / 2000 / XP
Warranty	One year

Western Digital My Book Elite Desktop External Hard Drive (640GB, 1TB, 1.5TB, 2TB) Review

Western Digital has upped the ante time and again on its wide range of external storage solutions. The biggest face lift is for the My Book desktop external hard drive series which now features the My Book Elite and My Book Studio. Today, we will be reviewing the My Book Elite which is now, much smarter and sleeker than ever featuring a customisable elabel, automatic, continuous backup and also a new smaller size to fit snugly on your desktop. Out of these features, the one feature that the label boasts that most of the other external hard drives do not have is the customisable elabel which will remain visible even when there is no power supplied to the unit. On the eve of USB 3.0 drives, the Western Digital My Book Elite 2TB seems to be the state of the USB 2.0 drive art. Read on to find out about some of the other features and performance.

Design:

Sleek:
The Western Digital My Book Elite desktop external hard drive has a design that is very similar to that of its predecessors, but is much sleeker than them. The new sleeker design brings the beauty and brains together. As you can imagine, this book-like shape takes up minimal space on your desk and allows two or more My Book drives to nestle neatly together like volumes on a shelf. The design also allows it to be sat horizontally or vertically and additional units can be stacked on top of each other.

The e-label:
Fascia is that part that has gone through the biggest change; the slim LED capacity gauge has been replaced by an eInk display to indicate the capacity and the very useful information of security status. Since the display is eInk, the label lasts for six months before asking for power again. This display can also be used to label the device using the WD SmartWare software, which is definitely much handy if you have more than one drive to handle. For instance, you can customise the label to remind you of what is stored in the drive. The good news is that, it is still passively cooled through the vents that are available on the top and rear, and hence, the device runs much silently.

Features:

Interface:
Coming to the part of interface, the Western Digital My Book Elite Desktop External Hard Drive has a single mini USB2.0 connection, which is same as the one that is used in the vast majority of devices. Given the Elite moniker, we would certainly like to have seen some faster connectivity options like FireWire 800 or eSATA.

Compatibility:
Though the WD Book Elite Desktop Drive is formatted in NTFS for Windows PCs out of the box, the device is compatible with the Macs as well. To be specific, the drive is compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Mac OS, Tiger, Leopard and Snow Leopard. Western Digital has included both Mac and Windows versions of the bundled software on a reserved partition of the drive. This just means that, even if the drive is formatted, the software remains in it.

Capacities available:
The Western Digital My Book Elite comes in capacities that suite everybody’s needs. For people who need huge capacities, there is the 2TB (WDBAAH0020HCH), 1.5TB (WDBAAH0015HCH) and 1TB(WDBAAH0010HCH) and if you are a light user, the Elite is also available in a much smaller 640GB(WDBAAH6400HCH)  capacity.

WD Smart Ware:
The WDSmartWare Software included is one of the best. It is a configuration hub that allows you to choose the backup schedules, alter the eInk label and also enable the drive’s password protected 256 bit AES hardware encryption. New users will be pleased to know that whenever the My Book Elite drive is plugged in for the first time, a simple and intuitive first backup process will initialise. It features a real-time visual interface of WD SmartWare software that offers users a reassuring view of their backup as and when it happens. Real time visual interface in the sense, the software will present you with a graphical representation of all the various bits of data in 6 main categories: System, Pictures, Other, Music, Movies, and Documents. Once the initial backup system runs, users’ files will be backed up automatically every time there is a change or a file is added to a particular directory. You will be able to effortlessly retrieve your valuable data to its original location whether you have lost all your data or just overwritten an important file.

You can either select all or pick and choose the particular types of files you want to be automatically backed up when your My Book Essential is plugged in. Then simply click ‘Run Backup’ and voila, your files will begin to copy automatically. SmartWare will continuously update the graphical representation with the status of your backup. By default, the software is set to run as a low priority while your machine is in use and will speed up when the machine is in idle state.

As you can see, backing up of the WD My Book Elite is quite intuitive. It offers automatic and continuous backup to make sure all your data within remains safe and sound most of the time. Similar to the software on the HP SimpleSave Portable, WD’s SmartWare automatically categorises data on both your PC and the External Hard Drive based on file extensions. From here, you will be able to choose the types of files to back-up. However, unlike the SimpleSave Portable, you will not be able to set your own custom extensions. And, as a result, the obscure media formats will be simply listed as ‘other’ and bundled with some of the other miscellaneous system files. The Western Digital SmartWare supports up to twenty five sequential backups of the same file.

Data lock:
To up the ante security wise, you will find a combination of user-selected password protection with 256-bit hardware-based encryption to be more than sufficient to prevent unauthorized data theft. WD never receives your drive’s password. In other words, you are the only person who knows the password. Should it be lost, the drive will remain locked or must be re-formatted to use again. We can live with that.

Performance:

Speed:
With this 256-bit hardware-based encryption, you can be sure that the new My Book Elite desktop drive will not disappoint you much on the notes of performance and capability. The drive has read speed of 27.7Mbps and write speed of 24.1 Mbps as far as the large files are concerned and with the smaller files like 3GB ones, the drive has read speed of 24.6Mbps and write speed or 15.2Mbps. However, there are much faster USB 2.0 based external hard drives that have passed through our tests, and the Western Digital My Book Elite does not offer any alternative connections like eSATA. Generally speaking, the drive is pretty quiet, although there is the usual buzz and hum during large backups.

Earth friendly:
My Book external drives are designed to save energy. WD GreenPower Technology™ lowers internal drive power consumption by up to 30%, a sleep mode reduces power during idle times, and a power-saving feature turns the drive on and off with your computer.

Package:

The package contents include the My Book Elite external hard drive, WD SmartWare software (pre-loaded), USB cable, AC adapter and Quick Install Guide.

Warranty:

Western Digital offers its latest My Book Elite Desktop drive three years limited warranty for parts and labour.

Verdict:

The Western Digital My Book Elite is a decent desktop external hard drive. The drive manages reasonable read and write speeds while dealing with both small and large files, but it is not the fastest USB 2.0 drive around in the market. A much faster interface like FireWire 800, would have certainly made a difference if you are transferring huge files. We wished the software offered more control over which files and folders you want to include/exclude from the backup, but in terms of a complete and idiotproof backup system, SmartWare does a respectable job. The My Book Elite is reasonably priced, powerful, and intuitive, and the drive offers users easy backup and restore, full-disk encryption, and an awesome e-ink label. The maximum capacity of 2GB does not hurt either.

Western Digital My Book Elite Hard Drive - Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Western Digital
Model Name	Western Digital My Book Elite
Product Code	2TB: WDBAAH0020HCH 1.5TB: WDBAAH0015HCH 1TB: WDBAAH0010HCH 640GB: WDBAAH6400HCH
Drive type	Desktop
Enclosure Type	Metal
Hard Disk Interface	USB 2.0
Dimensions (H x W x D)	165 x 48 x 135 mm
Weight	1.18 Kg
Colours available	Grey and silver
Capacities available	2TB, 1TB, 1.5TB and 640GB
Drive Device, Buffer Size	Variable
Hard Disk Spindle Speed	7200 rpm
Software included	WD SmartWare
Compatible systems	Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Mac OS, Tiger, Leopard and Snow Leopard
Data transfer rate	480 Mb/s
Compliant Standards	RoHS
Power Source	Power adapter
Power Requirements	100 - 240 VAC
Package contents	WD My Book Elite external hard drive, USB cable, AC adaptor and a quick install guide
Warranty	3 years

The USB hard drive is in fact a great invention when it comes to adding capacity to a local PC, or doing backup, or just moving data around. But, as you know, it was only a data store and so, it had its own limitations. In particular, it was hard to install applications there as the most modern applications seem to spread their junk all over the system drive. Additionally, a hard disk also needs mains power, all of which means that it did not work well as a portable personal workspace. So, for those of us who need to work at different locations but do not want to or cannot do everything on the web, there has not been much alternative to carrying a laptop.

All this seems to be changing at a rapid pace, thanks to technologies such as software virtualisation and development of the Small Form Factor drives that require lesser power. This means, you will be really able to take a hard disk and turn that into a portable desktop environment; and this is exactly what has done with the FreeAgent Go. There are two Seagate FreeAgent Go models: the regular model and the Special Edition. In the following review, we will be seeing about the latter one. Apart from the cosmetic trim, the only difference between the both is that, the Special Edition includes a basic USB dock, allowing you to seat the drive in a upright fashion, just like an iPhone dock.

Design:

Pocket it:
With its glossy aluminium finish, chrome trim, and jet black top and cover, the Seagate FreeAgent Go Special Edition makes it extremely convenient to carry your photos, music and videos anywhere, without sacrificing the good looks. The drive is extremely pocket friendly with dimensions of just (H x W x D) 5.1 x 3.1 x 0.4 inches and weighs a mere 0.16 Kgs and hence, is light enough and tiny to slide into basically any bag as well. The drive looks absolutely spectacular and in addition to the amazing looking drive and it even sports a series of white lights on the bottom portion of the top cover that pulsate when the drive is active, and slowly fades down as the activity of the drive decreases. Apart from the slim figure of the drive, the shape of the drive looks similar to many of the other external drives. The top of the rectangular case has a brushed metal finish that looks sleek and even passes our scratch test with very impressive resilience. The bottom of it covered with a slightly rough material that prevents the drive from sliding around on a hard surface.

The stylish dock:
Seagate has made things even better with the inclusion of a piano black desktop dock. This dock has made it easier than ever before to connect the drive to the computer without having to fumble all the wires. The best part of the drive is that, it has a massive amount of storage, without taking up a massive amount of space. The drive is available in bright red and Piano black finishes. Of course, you can choose to buy the original FreeAgent Go which is available in a range of finishes of blue, red, silver and black.

Port and connectivity:
The only port in the front of the drive is that of the USB2.0 powered port that connects the drive to your computer. While other drives such as the Iomega eGo Camo ship with a long 1-metre USB cord, the Seagate’s falls short at less than half a metre long. If you are not lucky enough to have a USB port on the front of your computer, you will find yourself wishing for an extension cable.

Capacity and Interface:

The Seagate FreeAgent Go Special Edition Model is available in capacities of 640GB and 500GB. Note that, this Special Edition is a Windows only Portable drive and if you a Mac person, the FreeAgent Go Mac Edition is also available which is especially for the Macers like you.

Ease of use:

The Special Edition FreeAgent Go comes pre-loaded with an easy to use software that helps you to retain data without automatic data backup and encryption of your important files, folders etc. This Windows only Seagate Manager was up and running in no time.  If you do not have autorun enabled, you can go in manually and start the software. This is where it starts to get clever. The Ceedo software, which Seagate has licensed from its eponymous developer, creates a virtual area within the system - you can install and run apps, and sync data onto it, all without any permanent effect on the host PC. Then when you dismount and unplug FreeAgent, it cleans up after itself and is ready to run on a different PC, with all your apps and data just as they were.

There were options in the software for us to pick specific files and folders that we wanted to back up for safe keeping swiftly. We were also able to quickly set a day and time when we wanted the backups to occur. After that, the software was basically on auto-pilot, and did everything by itself just as it was told. The software is really convenient for the PC; it reminded us of Time Machine, which if you do not know is the Mac backup program that is built-in to every Mac running Mac OS X 10.5 or higher. Seagate Manager also let us create a password-protected folder that safeguards files with 256-bit AES encryption. Lastly, the Sync option permits users to access our data when we plugged the FreeAgent Go Special Edition hard drive into another PC, so we always had the most current versions of my files at my fingertips when moving the drive from PC to PC.

Performance:

Performance wise, the FreeAgent Go Special Edition (500GB, 640GB) Hard Drive proved to be pretty fast for a USB drive and although it takes the prize for the best value as far as we know. It read about 5GB of videos, photos, music and documents in less than four minutes at an amazing rate of 22Mbps. And in our tests, the Go managed to achieve about 20Mbps. Hence, we still prefer the FireWire drives, as they are just way faster and require just one wire to connect. But still, this FreeAgent Go has become one of your favourite external hard drive by far.

Warranty and Service:

The Seagate Web site contains a comprehensive list of forums, knowledge bases, driver downloads, installation help and FAQs to help you troubleshoot your drive, which is all a great help for those who are new to external hard drives. And, Seagate offers a very generous five year limited warranty on parts and labour for the Seagare FreeAgent Go Special Edition.

Verdict:

Overall, the Seagate FreeAgent Go Special Edition has managed to impress us a lot. The stunning design, the convenient capacities and the overall experiences were all positive. If we have any winging to do, it is only that, it would been the ultimate drive if it had the FireWire capabilities.

Seagate External Hard Drive Reviews in this website.

FreeAgent Go Special Edition Hard Drive - Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Seagate
Model Name	Seagate FreeAgent Go Special Edition
Model Number	640GB: ST906403FNA2E1-RK 500GB: ST905003FNA2E1-RK
Dimensions (H X W X D)	130 X 80 X 12.5 inch
Weight	160 grams
Enclosure colour	Black and Bright Red
Form factor	2.5″
Capacities available	500GB and 640GB
Interfaces	Hi-Speed USB 2.0
External Hard Drive Power Source	USB bus
Operating system requirements	PC only
Software	Folder Sync Software Automatic Backup Software
Encryption	AES 128-bit
Accessories included	Carrying case, Docking station, USB and USB power only
Warranty	5 years

As computers are becoming more and more portable, so are external hard drives following suit. For a portable hard drive, versatility, portability and reliability are three criteria which determine its sale-ability.  One company that has had a long experience in the manufacture of external hard drives is Iomega.  Its image took a dent for producing some really bad products (the Screenplay in 2006). Over the past few years, the products have improved and their latest product the eGo Leather Portable Hard Drive should be putting the company back on track. The stylish and compact brown leather portable drive features the ‘Drop guard’ feature which makes it resistant to falls even from a height of 4 feet. Apart from the style quotient, it also features a bus powered connection eliminating the need for a separate power adapter. Does it manage to strike a chord with the audience? Read the review to find out whether the drive has what it takes to be popular.

Design:

Stylish leather casing:

In this era of digital entertainment, we often find the need to store data in external hard drives. But very often, the drives are either bulky or ugly looking. But the Iomega eGo leather Hard drive is a classic exception. It is amazingly fancy. Designed to add class to storage activities, it is wrapped in rich brown leather making it look like a hip drinking flask rather than a storage device. The chrome end caps add an exquisite touch to it.  Had a spout been present, people would have assumed you to be a closet drinking alcoholic.  The leather adds a bit of a soft feel to the device making it easy to carry.  However, the leather would get abused over time and we suggest treating the cover of the drive with Lexol every couple of months to keep the skin soft and supple.

White LED indicator:

At the bottom of the drive is a white LED activity indicator. While most drives in the market feature LEDs that are blue, green or red and are usually super bright, the LED on the eGo is bright enough to be noticeable. Beside the indicator, there is also a USB 2.0 port which also functions as a charging point.

Great Build Quality:

When it comes to build quality, the eGo leather 3.5″ External Hard drive features one of the most durable designs we have ever seen.  The leather wrapped all around the aluminium shell provides the much needed shock absorption providing it with the necessary edge to survive those nose dives on to hard floors.  The drive scores points for being able to combine style with a purpose.

Plug and Play:

The Drive has a USB 2.0 interface and is preformatted. Hence all you need to do is just plug it in to start backing up data.

Features:

Drop Guard Technology:

As the name suggests, the guys at Iomega have come up with a new feature called the Drop Guard Technology which makes the drive resistant to what they call ‘un-sportsman’ like falls.  As per Iomega’s claims the drive is capable of resisting damage by falls from a height up to 51 inches. That is roughly about 40 percent higher than the industry standards.  Is the claim true? We dropped the drive several times from a height of 4 feet and the drive is still going strong. While we cannot exactly state the consequences of repeatedly dropping it, we feel it can resist the normal wear and tear of regular use.

Capacities:

The eGo leather portable USB External hard drive is available in capacities of 160GB, 250GB and 500GB. The drive of 250GB capacity, theoretically can hold up to a million photos and about 4700 hours of music or 400 hours of video. It is sufficient for most backups and is a nice choice for additional storage.

EMC Retrospect Express:

The eGo drive includes a license for the EMC Retrospect Express which allows fast backups and added protection for data. The interface allows one to schedule backup, personalise backup schedule and location, backup open files, encrypt files and obtain backup verification. The first time we used it; it erased the entire volume and required the usage of the hard drive exclusively for backup. This backup software also features integrated Mozy Home Online backup software that allows one to store data online and recover whenever needed.

Cost per Gigabyte:

After doing the entire math, we figured that it would be roughly 0.41 pounds per gigabyte. That makes it an average price for an EHD and a better deal than the 160 GB model released last year. The best drive in the segment is the Western Digital my Passport Studio for 0.39 pounds per gigabyte but the Iomega comes pretty close second.

Performance:

Read and Write Speeds:

The USB 2.0 interface translates to great compatibility but not great transfer speeds when compared to the SATA interface. It’s read and write speeds are about 149 megabits per second. While it is most certainly not slow, it is not setting new standards for speed either. If the drive used eSATA or the native internal SATA connection, the speeds would have been double than those of the USB interface. When compared to the 320 GB Western Digital Passport drive, the eGo has a faster access time, lower processor usage and faster read & write speeds.

Heat and Noise:

The drive is so quiet, that one would not be able to distinguish whether the drive is in use or not without looking at the LED. The leather cover, we believe, isolates any sound produced from the drive making it one of the quietest in its category. A tick from the drive once in a while is not really much of noise.

The drive always felt slightly hotter than the room temperature.  But of course, the internal drive is only 5400 rpm and hence we were not expecting much heat from the device.

Power:

The eGo is powered totally through a USB 2.0 port, but in case your PC would need an extra push, Iomega includes a cable with 2 USB connectors for extra power. There is also a five volt AC power port available too but we do not think it that a need for that would ever arise. A power cable is not available as an accessory and the manufacturer sells the power brick separately.

What is in the Box?

Apart from the eGo Brown leather portable hard drive, there is a USB 2.0 cable, a Quick Install guide, a HTML User Manual and Help files, Backup software license and Trend Micro Internet Security included in the package.

Service and Support:

Iomega provides a limited warranty of one year on all eGo hard drive series.  The warranty covers damage at manufacturer’s discretion. All defective hard drives would be replaced and if they are unable to solve your problem, there will be a refund of the full retail price. The site features additional troubleshooting and other support items such as forums.  Registering the drive on the site allows the warranty period to go up to a period of 3 years.

Verdict:

The Iomega eGo Leather Portable drive is an excellent little storage device with great looks, amazing durability and a decent performance. Often times we think of these portable drives has the equivalent of bringing a briefcase of information around with you, but much, much more, of course. For the professionals among us, why not bring your data with you in style? This portable drive is wrapped in a rich brown leather, making it look like a portfolio rather than a piece of tech equipment. Plus, the chrome end caps add an exquisite finishing touch. It has an edge against simple and plain dull hard drives and is sure to surprise most people around when one pulls it out. It would have been even better had an eSATA interface been available, but other than that there is nothing really that the drive lacks. Hence, we recommend the drive without any hesitations.

Check other Iomega External Hard Drive Reviews, Latest Portable Hard Drives in this website.


Iomega eGo Leather Hard Drive (160GB, 250GB, 500GB) - Technical Specification Details

Manufacturer	Iomega
Model Name	eGo Portable Leather Hard Drive
Colour	Brown Leather Casing
Dimensions (W x H x D)	.75″ x 3.5″ x 5.25″
Weight	0.48lb
Capacities available	160GB, 250GB and 500GB
Form Factor	3.5 inch
Interface	USB2.0
Spindle speed	5400 rpm
External Data Transfer	149 Megabits per second
Transfer Rate	480 Mbits/sec
System Requirements	PC Users : 300z processor or higher, Available USB connection, Microsoft® Windows® Vista* / 2000 / 2000 Professional / XP Home / XP Professional / XP Professional x64 and 256MB RAM or higher as required by operating system Mac Users: Mac® PowerPC G3 or Intel Core Duo processor. Mac OS X, version 10.1.5 or higher ,uilt-in USB connection (USB 2.0 host connection or controller for USB 2.0 speeds) and 128MB RAM or higher as required by operating system
Plug and Play	Yes
Package contents	eGo Portable leather hard drive, USB 2.0 cable, a Quick Install guide, a HTML User Manual and Help files, Backup software license and Trend Micro Internet Security included.
Warranty	One year limited warranty and can be extended to Three years if product is registered.