Buffalo DriveStation Combo TurboUSB 500GB External Hard Drive
HD-CE500IU2 - 500GB External Hard Drive from Buffalo
Even as you think of adding an external hard drive to your system, the world becomes your oyster. With a lot of manufacturers, each offering a different variety of choices, you will be absolutely perplexed. That is when you will have to consider the capacity of the hard disk, its connectivity options, compatibility with particular operating systems, the design of the drive, the list of other software that come bundled with the external hard drive and finally its performance. The following review is on the Buffalo DriveStation Combo TurboUSB 500GB External Hard Drive.
Portable external hard drives Vs 7200 rpm drives:
While portable hard drives consume less power consuming 5400rpm disks that typically take power from the computer port, they are much slower when compared to that of the 7200rpm drives that are typically used in the desktop units where the power brick is employed. The Buffalo DriveStation Combo TurboUSB hard drive HD-CE500IU2 is of the latter category. The ‘combo’ part of the Buffalo DriveStation Combo’s name refers to the fact that the DriveStation has both FireWire and USB ports, so you can connect it to the FireWire port on your Mac if all your USB ports are already in use.
Unappealing look:
It may look a bit dull compared to rivals such as LaCie’s Brick, or the MyBook from Western Digital, but the Buffalo DriveStation Combo’s slimline design is also quite handy, as it allows you to sit the drive in any convenient spot on your desk.
The DriveStation Combo 500GB Hard Drive designed with the intention to operated as an vertically oriented device. It does not have a stand or feet like the other external hard drives in the current market in order to ensure stability. And so, you will have to make sure that the drive is placed safely and that you do not knock it over while working.
Easy installation:
This 500GB Combo TurboUSB hard drive does not install directly after hibernation. It requires you to reboot your system and then connect via the provided USB2.0 and there after, it gets installed immediately. The installation process is very quick and quiet. The device driver identifies the drive as Samsung Spinrite HD501LJ disk. The drive remains to be cool even after the protracted use. The cool running of the hard drive is ensured by the heat absorbing chassis as the external hard drive does not have a fan.
Capacities and compatibility:
Buffalo DriveStation Combo TurboUSB is available in 250GB ,500GB and 1TB. It is compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems.
Employs Samsung Spinpoint:
Buffalo uses a Samsung Spinpoint for this 500GB DriveStation Combo. By doing so, it has gained inevitable reputations for high reliability, noiseless running, excellence in performance and also in keeping itself cool in warm environments and all these credits are overvalued specially when they have some critical data involved.
Features:
The Combo TurboUSB hard drive has the auto power-on facility that allows the drive to automatically power up or down in association with the system. It has also got the auto backup facility that allows you to set up customized back-up scheduling. It has also got Secure Lock Ware and AES encryption ensures data security.
Dual interface:
The Buffalo DriveStation Combo offers you with two interfaces. One is the high speed USB interface and the other is the FireWire 400. Though there is only a single port as far as the FireWire 400 is concerned, which might be significant if you are looking to chain the FireWire devices. Though theoretically it is said that FireWire is slower than the USB2.0 device, practically, it is quicker than USB2.0 in most of the applications and this might be the result of the superior design of the interface.
Extract the maximum performance:
Coming to the part of performance, if you are sure that your PC is getting power out of uninterrupted power supply then make sure that you switch on the maximum performance in the device manager, which makes a huge difference in the performance with the USB2.0 throughput. When you have your device manager in this setting, the read write speeds of the music files are 35% faster and that of the video files are 21% faster. We ask you to make sure that you have uninterrupted power supply because, if your system crashes or power fails during this operation, there are very high chances that you might lose your files or they might even get corrupted. And hence, we recommend you to use an UPS while carrying on such important and critical operations.
TurboUSB mode:
Buffalo has also offered a TurboUSB mode for this DriveStation. But for this operation to take on, it requires the installation of a special driver. Buffalo claims that the drive is 30% faster than the standard Hi-speed USB. But the advantage of using this usually depends on the type of application. This drive is equipped with all the interface power it needs from standard USB 2.0 and Firewire 400, but by all means install the Turbo software if you need to maximise your data throughput.
Secure:
The main drive backup is the most important and usually, the speed of the drive is not important. It is the reliability which is the key factor. The Memeo Autobackup software that is bundled along with the device make sure that automatic incremental backups are done.
Pricing and warranty:
The price of this drive is very reasonable being just 20p per GB. Buffalo DriveStation Combo TurboUSB 500GB comes with 2 years warranty, which is somewhat less favorable than some similarly priced hard drives. For instance, the Seagate FreeAgent Pro USB/eSATA External Hard Drive, a 500GB hard drive, has a 5 year warranty.
Verdict:
Buffalo DriveStation Combo TurboUSB 500GB lives up to its reputations on all aspects. Satisfying the necessities of reliability, durability and performance, the DriveStation Combo makes sure that it is placed in the short list of the Desktop PC users. With auto installation, Memeo AutoBackup Software and support, the DriveStation Combo is a plug and play secure and reliable USB backup and storage solution. The overall performance of this external hard drive is excellent and we certainly recommend it.
You can also check Latest External Hard Drives, other 500GB External Hard Drive models in this website.
Buffalo DriveStation Combo HD-CE500IU2 Hard Drive - Technical Specification Table
| Manufacturer | Buffalo |
| Model Name | Buffalo DriveStation Combo TurboUSB |
| Model number | HD-CE500IU2 |
| Device type | External hard drive |
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 156 x 175 x 45mm |
| Weight | 1.2Kg |
| Hard disk drive capacity | 500GB |
| Hard disk interface | Serial ATA |
| Hard disk rotational speed | 7200 rpm |
| Data transfer rate (max) | 400Mbps: FireWire 400 Mode 480Mbps: USB 2.0 Mode |
| Standard Compliance | FireWire 400, USB 2.0 |
| Connector Types | 1 x FireWire 400 6-pin 1 x FireWire 400 4-pin 1 x USB 2.0 Type B |
| Number of Ports | Three |
| OS Support | Windows Vista, Windows XP/2000 & MAC OS X |
| Cables Included | 1 x USB cable 1 x IEEE 1394 cable |
| Software bundle included | SecureLockWare Memeo AutoBackup |
| Power Consumption (Watts) | 12W |
| Operating Environment | 5-35º C, 20-80% (non-condensing) |
| Power Supply | External AC 100-240V 50/60Hz |
| Warranty | 2 years |
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