External Hard Drives

Introduced at the CES 2011, the IoSafe Rugged Portable hard drive is just like its counterpart the IoSafe Solo Pro, only more portable. What is the specialty of the drive you may ask? This is the first portable drive in the market that offers protection against extreme conditions. It is waterproof, has a metal casing and in built shock absorbing technology. If you think they are just fancy terms, get ready to be proved wrong. The drive is even capable of surviving bullet shots, not one but many! Available in memory sizes from 250GB to 1TB, the drive even comes along with a warranty that includes a Data Recovery Service that covers data damage. If you are always on the go or work in challenging places such as ships, rigs, construction sites or even war, this is a great investment. Available in aluminium and titanium SSD and HDD versions and comes with one of the best warranties in the market. Read on to know its performance and why we think it could be one of the best drives to come out this year.

Design:

The casing of the IoSafe Rugged Portable drive is built out of solid aluminium which explains why it looks and feels so solid. On the bottom of the device are the rubber feet and a note to remind you of the data recovery warranty. At the back of the device are the LED indicator and a hole for the Kensington lock. While the drive is actually a 2.5″ drive, it is nearly as big as a regular 3.5” thanks to the solid casing.  We opened the drive to discover that the drive is protected by a gasket that helps keep liquids out.

Dimensions:

The drive measures (H x W x D) 5.7 inch x 0.9 inch x 1 inch and weighs just over a pound, and 1.7 pounds for the titanium version. While the weight is definitely a turn off for people who like their drives to be light, it is impossible to expect such sturdy drives at any lighter weights.

Portability:

As we mentioned earlier, the Rugged Portable is the more portable variant of its 15 pound counterpart the IoSafe Solo Pro. Considering the incredible extreme conditions it can withstand, its portability is amazing.

Capacities Available:

The drive is available in 250GB to 1TB capacities in HDD and 256GB to 512GB in SSD capacities.

Comes with USB 2.0 and 3.0:

At the back of the drive is present a Mini USB 3.0 port. With the drive, a regular mini USB 3.0 and a Y shaped USB 2.0 cable. The former acts as a data cable and a power cable as well.

Plug and Play:

The IoSafe Rugged Portable external Hard drive is also Plug and play like the rest of the devices that are out in the market. All you need to do to use it is just plug it to your computer and it is all ready to use. The drive uses the NTFS file system and hence needs to be reformatted to HFS+ in case your operating system is Mac.  This process is done in a matter of minutes thereby causing minimum inconvenience.

Features:

Host of Technologies!

The IoSafe Rugged drive employs Full Metal Jacket Technology, Full Suspension Drive Technology, HydroSafe, ChemoSafe and EnviroSafe Technology.  The drive is enclosed by a billet of Aluminum or Titanium alloy making it crush resistant up to 5000 pounds. The Full Suspension Drive Technology allows for suspension in all the six axes of motion making it secure from shocks up to 20 times. The HydroSafe Technology makes it waterproof and protects data loss up to 10 feet for 3 days in water. The ChemSafe technology makes immersion in diesel fuel, oils, fluids etc for one hour without any data loss. The drive is also resistant to UV exposure, rain, fog, hail etcetera for 24 hours without any data loss. The device is also capable of operating up to high altitudes such as 15000 feet thanks to the AltiSafe Technology.

Not Fire proof!

The only environment that the Rugged Portable is incapable of handling is fire unlike the IoSafe Solo Pro. The reason is that fire proofing the drive would have added an extra few pounds and made it less portable.

Theft Protection:

The Kensington Lock present on the back of the drive helps in securing the drive to any immovable objects using the Kensington Locks.

Software Included:

Along with the drive is present software that is not necessary for backing up data on the drive. The Genie Timeline Pro Full version, an award winning backup software helps in Continuous Data Protection software for Windows Users. There is the Apple Time Machine that needs reformatting of the drive in order to be used. The TrueCrypt AES 256 Encryption Compatible is open source software that helps in encryption of data on PC, Linux and Mac platforms.

Performance:

The Rugged Portable lived up to its expectations in both the USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 categories. The drive was able to read and write at 31 and 28 Mbps, thereby placing it in the above average category. The USB 3.0 speeds were 102 and 85 Mbps for read and write speeds respectively. These whooping speeds do make a difference when you are transferring large files.

Definitely Rugged:

The drive as its name states lives up to the rugged title. The IoSafe Rugged Portable can survive drops from 10 feet, survive under water for 72 hours, can survive dunks in chemicals and even be crushed by 2500 pounds and still safeguard data. The titanium coated variant of the drive can even withstand bullet shots.

Heat:

The drive was cool throughout its operation, but the drive was slightly vibrating.

Warranty and Data Recovery Service:

IoSafe Rugged Portable comes with a one year warranty that includes with the Data Recovery Service. The Data Recovery Service helps in trying back to recover the data in case the drive stops working for a reason. In case the drive is beyond repair, the warranty will cover up to 3000 pounds worth of data. But in order to avail this warranty, you must activate it. No hidden conditions here. IoSafe does not have any secretive clauses in the warranty that prevent you from repairing your drive, making it the best warranty in the market. You can upgrade the warranty to three year or five years by shelling out cash. The company also has free technical support through the weekdays. On the website are available FAQs, downloads, guides and other forms of support.

Verdict:

In case you are looking for a rugged and portable drive that protects your data, then the IoSafe Rugged Portable is the one you must buy. The drive is extremely stylish and at the same time is designed to safe guard your data from the vagaries of Mother Nature. The Data Recovery Plan is the best warranty in the market and the inclusion of USB 3.0 means higher transfer speeds.  If the drive could withstand extreme heat as well, then this could have been the daddy of disaster proof drives in the market. But if you live in a harsh environment, then this is a great way to safeguard your data. If you are an ordinary user, the drive does seem extremely expensive, but the data recovery services make the price worth it. A big thumbs up to IoSafe for such a sensational niche product; we recommend it.

Check 2011 Latest External Hard Drives in this website.

IoSafe Rugged Portable Hard Drive - Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	ioSafe
Model Name	ioSafe Rugged Portable External Hard Drive
Dimensions (H x W x D)	5.7 inch x 0.9 inch x 1 inch
Weight	1.2 pounds and 1.7 pounds for the Titanium version
Form Factor	2.5″
Interface	USB 2.0/USB 3.0
Compatible OS	Windows and Mac
Compliant standards	CE , UL , FCC , Plug and Play
Features	Water Resistant, Altitude Resistant, Chemical Resistant, UV Ray Resistant, and Shock Resistant slot (cable lock sold separately)
Power Consumption	<5W
Package contents	Hard Drive, 2 USB cables ( one 3.0 and one 2.0) and Quick Install Guide
Warranty	1 year data recovery service; can be extended to 3 and 5 years

More and more people are relying on computers to store their data and there arises the need for connected storage. Something like a Windows Home Server is too expensive and complex for majority of the users, in this case a relatively less costly and more centralized storage option would be perfect. A Network Attached Storage device is the perfect solution for such people. It allows you to share data with several computers at once as well as backup systems. What makes NAS devices special is the fact that they can be connected to devices such as the Xbox something that USB hard drives cannot do. But the most important aspect when it comes to buying a NAS server is its ease of use. The newest addition to the ‘My Book’ external hard drives from WD is unique for two reasons. Firstly, it gives you an NAS solution with a Gigabit Ethernet connection. Secondly, you can access the device from any part of the world. Is this precisely what you are looking for? Read on to find out.

Design:

Book like!

Western Digital’s My Book range are so called because the basic design for devices under the brand resembles a book. Different models of My Books are identifiable by the colour scheme used. The Book Pro Edition II was silver coloured and the My Book Premium was a glossy black. The WD World Edition External Hard Drives, on which our focus is a glossy white coloured device that looks extremely slick and amazingly does not show fingerprints that make devices ugly. There is a rubber strip included as well, something that is common to all the other devices under My Book brand. The rubber strip runs along the top, base and back of the device enabling it to be laid down without exposing it to the risk of getting scratched.

The construction:

The top, side and bottom sides of the device are perforated in order to help the air flow inside and keep the device cool. The grilled look makes it look a class apart and we could easily say that this is by far the most attractive NAS box we have ever seen. Aesthetic functionality at its best. In the middle of the spine is present a strip of white lights. The light is capable of acting as a memory gauge meter. The bottom one lights up when the device is on and the others light up according to the activity of the drive. A very interesting aesthetic add to the device that goes great with it. If however you find it distracting, there is even an option to turn it off in the menu.

On the back of the device is present a power button and a gigabit Ethernet, USB and power connection option.

Hidden Security Slot:

A small issue we have with the design of the My Book World Edition Hard Drive is its location of the security slot. The slot is hidden amongst the back along with the other vent holes. It gets frustrating if you want to protect your data but do not know where the slot is.

One Hard Drive only:

The Western Digital My Book World Edition External Hard Drive (1TB & 2TB) uses one hard drive unlike other expensive NAS appliances that use at least two hard drives lest one fails the other would still have the data. It is extremely important to have high data redundancy as more and more information around us is on computers. Another interesting feature of the device is the inclusion of an USB port, something that is not too common amongst NAS devices. While the USB port cannot be used to connect to a computer, you can connect it to another hard drive to back up data on this one thereby adding more storage to the network. Thankfully!

System Requirements:

The Western Digital My Book World Edition requires you to have an Ethernet connection either a network adapter, router, hub or switch; A web browser, Adobe Flash Active X 9 and a Broadband Internet connection.

System Compatibility:

The My Book World Edition device is compatible with both Windows and Mac platforms. The device is compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 as well as Mac OS X Tiger, Leopard and Snow Leopard.

Capacities Available:

The My Book World Edition is available in two capacities: 1TB and 2TB. The 1TB drive is capable of storing up to 200000 photos or about 80 hours of video or 250000 songs. Such a large memory ensures all your data is safely stored at one place. The 2 B memory drive is of the similar specifications as the 1TB only slightly thicker.

Easy Set up and Easier to Use:

All you need to use the device is to plug it into a power socket and a router and voila, the device will appear on the network browser if you are on Windows and on Finder, if you are on Mac. You can then unload the media on to the device and be relieved for your data is totally secure. For users who are still on Windows XP, there is no reason to worry as Western Digital provides software to make things easy for you guys as well. Just pop in the CD and click on Map Network Drive option for backup. There are other features such as scheduling backups etc. which will be discussed in detail later on in the review. But honestly, this is by far the easiest setup we encountered for network attached storage.

Features:

Setting the NAS up:

Once you have set up the device, the drive’s shared folders would be available on the network where they can be assigned to network drives. To set the NAS up, log on to it on a web browser assuming you know what the IP address the router has given it. Or you could run the Discovery Utility that Western Digital has provided on the included CD and lets you configure it. It is pretty easy to map a network drive, browse though the shared files of a network and create shortcuts. The initial configuration page asks you to set up the time zone, passwords and a select network options. Beyond this, the program allows you to select Basic or Advanced mode. The Basic Mode is for the users who are new to NAS and want to just get a job done whereas the advanced mode lets you do a lot more such as specifying user access control and individual permissions for accessing USB devices. But the device lacks self downloading features where you could set the device to download on its own without involving a computer.

iTunes Server Capability:

One of the highlight features of the device is its iTunes server capability. It allows you to store all music and other multimedia files on the drive and allows other computers that run iTunes to access it without any issues. You heard that right. You can access all the music and multimedia files on any computer without any violation issues. The device is DLNA certified therefore can act as a server for gaming devices such as Microsoft Xbox 360, Televisions, And Mobile phones etc.

No BitTorrent client built in:

The drive does not have in built BitTorrent client, but that is still far from being a popular feature and so no points cut for the drive.

Remote Access:

MioNet is the software that the My Book World Edition uses for remote access. The server is registered with an account at MioNet and then you can log on to the NAS server from any part of the world to get data off it. The setting up of the server is easy. Connect the NAS server to a computer, and launch the MioNet registration page from the CD. The installation of the MioNet software is not necessary as the My Book World Edition does not require any software to remain powered in order to work properly. The software allows you to access your computer from the Internet. However, due to piracy concerns, sharing of a few formats are not allowed.

No Switch On feature:

The device does not feature a wake up LAN feature so you cannot turn it off nor start it up. But since the device uses a meagre 6W at idle state and 9W during a file transfer, we do not have to worry about power wastage running it all day long.

Time Machine compatible:

When the device was launched, it was not compatible with Time Machine. However, at the time of writing this review, all models shipped were made Time Machine ready.

Performance:

Instant Recognition:

A problem with a few NAS devices lies in them not being able to be recognized by the computer. The Western Digital My Book World Edition does not have that issue. When we connected to a switch and to a router, it was recognised instantly and was accessible using Internet Explorer. The OS we were running on, Windows 7 also recognised and enabled us to access it using Network Discovery.

Issues with Access:

While we were able to browse files and folders properly using the NAS server, we were unable to copy any folders from the NAS to the computer. The webpage seemed to hang every time we did that rendering remote access solution useless.

Router Speeds:

While the device does not have too many features to boast of, it proves to be a solid performer. My Book World Edition was able to transfer files at a whopping 120 Mbps for writing and 206Mbps on the reading parameter thereby beating every router in the market except Synology DS 209+. A point to be noted is that, the speeds are comparable to a USB 2.0 part hard drive but since the latter are physically connected they have an advantage over speed.

No Fan Inside:

The device is pretty silent and the only noise that emanates from it is from the hard drive which is of the low power and of the Green range. There are absolutely NO cooling fans used and thanks to the very efficient grilling design, the device keeps cool. But remember not to position it in dusty or confined places in order for it to run optimally.

Eco-Friendly:

Another aspect of the device is its eco-friendliness. It is not something that people would actually care for while buying a device, but the company maintains that the device consumes much lesser power when running all day than a PC to share the same data. As we mentioned earlier, this Green power drive consumes energy up to one third lesser power than your usual 3.5 inch disks.

What is in the box?

The Drive comes along with an Ethernet cable, an AC adapter for power, a software CD containing MioNet and a Quick Install guide book.

Warranty:

The Drive comes with a decent warranty of three years. There is toll free support available on the phone throughout the week except on Sundays. There is also email and tech support provided in the form of FAQs and downloads on their website. However to access these downloads; you must register the product on the Website.

Verdict:

Western Digital has managed to create a simple no frills NAS device with the My Book World Edition. It is the best looking NAS device in the market and is also extremely easy to use. For laymen and other users, it offers a way to backup their files without giving a second thought, thus making it practically the best choice for many a user. The iTunes capability also will make it popular amongst music enthusiasts. While an eSATA drive would have been obviously faster, the wireless storage is a perfect idea if you have multiple computers. There is no RAID support nor is the hard drive user serviceable but to most of the users the absence of these would not make much of a difference. In conclusion, it is a fantastic device all in all that is capable of great speeds, consumes much lesser power than other drives. Therefore a must buy! In case you are looking for a more powerful, feature rich and better performing device, you could go for the Synology DS 209+.

WD My Book World Edition External Hard Drive - Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Western Digital
Model Name	WD Digital My Book World Edition External Hard Drive
Model Numbers	2TB - WDH1NC20000 1TB - WDH1NC10000
Drive type	Portable External
Capacities Available	1TB and 2TB
Dimensions (W x D x H)	2.2″ x 5.7″ x 6.8″
Spindle speed	7200 RPM
OS Compatibility	Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Mac OS 10.4, 10.5 or 10.6
Source	AC adapter
Software included	MioNet
Features	WD Backup Capacity Gauge Smart Design
Package	External hard drive FireWire cable USB cable AC adapter Quick Install Guide
Warranty	3 years

If there is a reason people avoid backing up of data on their computers, it is because for many a laymen, it is too confusing and time consuming. Backing up of data involves the media to backup on and software that sends files to the media making us wait a very long time.  Apple brought about a new revolution by introducing Time Capsule, an indigenous way to back up data wirelessly on any Mac for the network. However, there were minor niggles as well. Clickfree’s latest product is the ClickFree C2 Portable Backup Drive. Every time we review its product, we constantly find their products keep getting better. This is true with the C2 as well.  Easily the fastest and the simplest backup solution we have ever seen. Not only can you just backup, but also have the ability to encrypt your hardware and other advanced features. Capable of backing up 400 different file types including music, documents etc, it is compatible with both Mac and PC.  The ability to transfer your iPod/iPhone music collection is another huge bonus. Does the product deliver its expectations? You bet. Read on to find out why we think this is the best option for most of our readers.

Design:

Body:

The design is stylish, sporting a glossy finish and the logo is displayed on the fascia of the device. The Clickfree C2 Portable Hard drive is available in two colours: glossy black and glossy white. On the face of the device is a blue coloured indicator that indicates activity of the device. The drive measures 4.5 x 0.6 x 2.9 inches making it slightly thicker than the portable drives that Seagate offers. It has rounded corners thus making it less of a pain when carrying in the pockets.

Two-many colours:

While there are not as many colour options as you would find for Iomega’s eGo or Seagate external drives, black and white suffice for most users as they complement the keyboards and CPUs better than any coloured drive. The white coloured drive is perfect for complementing the Mac computers.

Integrated USB cable:

An aesthetic add to the design of the drive is the integrated USB cable that manages to tuck itself properly to the back of the drive thus eliminating the risk of losing the cable similar to the Hitachi SimpleTough. While in that design, we were not sure about its longetivity, here the C2 has a mini USB port on the base and could be used with a standard mini USB cable as well.  Also the hassle of tangled wires vanishes.

Optional Dock:

There is an optional dock that is available on the ClickFree website. When we put the C2 Backup drive on to the dock, it felt a little shaky. We checked if there would be any interruptions in backing up data by trying to push, poke and tap the drive and found that there was no hindrance at all. Though the connection feels flimsy, it is definitely secure.

Capacities Available:

The Clickfree C2 Portable External drive is available in storage capacities of 250GB to 2TB.

System Requirements:

In order for the drive to work optimally, the PC should have Microsoft XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7.  Macintosh users should have no issues with the drive if their OS is OSX 10.5 or later.

Both PC and Mac compatible:

The ClickFree C2 is both PC and Mac compatible, which means you can use it for transferring files from one to another as well. However, the cross platform compatibility ends here. There is no capability to back up both the data of the Mac and the PCs on the same drive due to different file systems.

Features:

Smarter Interface:

The interface used in backing up data is a more tweaked and refreshed version of the original version. If you thought the earlier interface was easy, this is even easier.  The C2 is an Apple white EHD with an integrated USB cable, which once connected to a PC, will start up automatically, go through the system for files that are of various preset types and, just back-up all of them. Absolutely, idiot proof, the interface allows to backup all your data with a single click. A new feature included is a search page that allows you to view a summary of the new and changed files every time you backup. On most regards, the interface of the Clickfree C2 is not much different from the average consumer backup software. It is just that the features list is pretty limited (understandably) and the interface is very simple to cater even the most novice users.

Backup with a click:

As a basic backup drive, the C2 USB External Hard drive does not require any real user input whatsoever; just connect the device every so often so that it can keep things up to date and just forget about it. Unlike several drives in the market, ClickFree Backup allows you to choose the files you need to backup. Even better is the C2 remembers your choice of files that need to be backed up and backs them up every time you connect them to the PC.  You also get to do the scheduling if you choose to leave the drive connected permanently. Some of the advanced backup features include hardware based encryption as well as email attachment extraction. For security, there is a 256-bit encryption via password.

Smart Viewer:

The interface does sport a few nice touches to do a standout, such as the integrated image viewer. Thanks to the Smart Viewer feature, you can transfer photos from one computer to another. There is an option to print, email and share these photos on Facebook, Flickr and My space; all of these directly from the Clickfree software. While this feature does not belong to the essential category, this is a feature that photo enthusiasts would be thankful for.

iPod Music and Play List Import:

The Clickfree C2 also has a feature that has been inspired from the Transformer for iPod, this feature allows users to plug in an iPod or an iPhone into another USB port for a computer and the drive will be able to import music to your hard drive. This gets rid of the horrors of the iTunes. The data can be imported into iTunes as well. Data such as Artists, Track titles and Album are also preserved. Even older versions of iPods that have FireWire ports and USB ports can be used for backing up. We noticed that the C2 does not copy video files. It is a big minus for users who have a lot of video content on their iPod/iPhone. But otherwise, this option is a life saver, in case your iPod was synced to a computer that crashed.  The file format selector can be tailored to your requirements, so you do not end up filling the system with unwanted system files, and also exclude the TEMP files and limit the search to the chosen locations. There are also options to designated entire folders to be copied to the C2 hard disk.

Migration:

With the launch of Windows 7, there are plenty of users who would like to switch from the flop Windows Vista to the latest version.  They would want the switch without losing any of their existing data. The C2 delivers. Its software enables it to transfer files from one OS to another without any hassles.

Hardware Accelerated Encryption:

Data encryption is also possible in the ClickFree C2. The drive uses 256bit hardware encryption which enables you to access data only with a password. A highly recommended way to store data is to safeguard it with a password. There is a chip within the drive itself that encrypts the data; therefore the backup nor the computer will be slowed down.

Burn from Discs and Attachments:

If you are looking for a way to get your backup on to a DVD or a CD, it is possible and can be done in a single click.  The same steps are available in case of scheduled backups and obtaining email attachments from Outlook.

Performance:

The company might be called ClickFree, but there are certainly quite a few clicks you need to do to set it up. We use the device on a Windows 7, and after a 34 second wait, the backup procedure starts.  Every time you connect the drive, it identifies the newer files since the last backup and automatically backs them up. How long it takes for backup is dependent on how many files you have got to copy. The first backup is usually the longest with the consequent backups a matter of a few minutes. The first backup of about 100 GB of data took about one hour. The device also disconnects itself when the done option is selected, a very interesting and thoughtful touch by ClickFree. The next time we plugged in the device, it was able to detect new files and back all of them up under a minute.

Against Competition:

In our speed tests, the device easily trampled the Seagate FreeAgent Go and the Iomega eGo. It was able to transfer 10 GB files in about 7 minutes and took 5 minutes to read. The drive from Seagate took about 9 minutes and the eGo took about 7 and half minutes. So there you go, the C2 is a splendid drive that manages to survive the competition.

Cost Per GB:

When it comes to cost per GB, the drive is easily in the expensive segment.  The price takes the software into account, but the £91 for a 250GB 2.5-inch hard disk is still pretty steep. This means, you are paying about 30 to 40 pounds of premium over the similar kind of external hard drive models. There are the Seagate Replica and Iomega Go drives that offer much better prices when it comes to cost per GB. However, the Iomega software suite installation was time consuming and tedious considering you had to create an account for every piece of software you install.  The Replica is very slow and you have absolutely no choice on what to and what not to backup. It is because of these flaws, paying a little more extra would not hurt.

Warranty:

The ClickFree C2 Drive has a warranty period of three years. The website features online support and a toll free number is available for telephonic support.

Conclusion:

Backing up data is very important and above that very tedious. The very easy to setup nature, its focus on what backup users are looking for, thoughtful features such as iPod music backup is what set it a class apart from all its rivals in the market. The ability to transfer data from a Macintosh to a PC, the ability to backup data on regular intervals, the accelerated encryption and features like Smart viewer are major positives of the device. The price might be on the steeper side when compared to all the other external hard drives in the market, but the drive is good at what it does: backup. And we have no qualms in recommending it.

Clickfree C2 Portable Hard Drive - Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Clickfree
Model Name	Clickfree C2 Backup Drive
Form Factor	2.5 inch
Dimensions (H x W x D) in inches	4.5 x 0.6 x 2.9 inches
Capacity	250GB to 2TB
Interface Type	Hi-Speed USB
Hard disk type	Mechanical
Buffer Size	8MB to 32MB
Interface Transfer Rate	480 Mbps
Spindle Speed	7200rpm
Interfaces	1 x Hi-Speed USB
Cables Included	1 x USB cable on the device itself
Operating system supported	Microsoft Windows 7/Vista / XP Macintosh OSX 10.5 and later
Warranty	Three years

If you are a person who uses USB flash drives, audio players, graphic cards or external hard drives, chances are you have heard of Transcend Information Inc and even used their products.  The Taiwanese company’s product portfolio has over 2000 devices to its credit and has offices all across the world. The company’s the first in Taiwan to get the prestigious ISO 9001 certification and also the first anywhere in the world to offer a lifetime warranty on some of its products.  Even in this age of online storage, external hard drives have not lost their popularity and Transcend has consistently been delivering on the EHD front with new and innovative products.

Today, the focus is on the Transcend StoreJet 25D2, a sleek and shiny portable hard disk that is remarkably tough thanks to the shock dampening system used internally.  Certified to be useable on all Mac and Windows systems, the device has a greater target audience.  Let us know review the device in greater detail.

Sleek and Suave:

The Transcend StoreJet 25D2 Mobile Hard Drive is easily one of the best looking devices to release in the market this year 2011. At (H x W x D) 129.9 x 82.07 x 17.3 mm, it is pretty convenient to carry around with us without much of a hassle. Weighing around 190 odd grams, the device is highly portable.

Body Finish:

The device has a shiny glossy lacquer finish that reminds you of the finish on Apple products thereby making this device perfect to complement your Mac computers.  The lacquer finish makes it less prone to scratches.  There is an eye catchy LED that acts as a power and data transfer indicator.

Rugged:

Appearances are deceptive. Do not let the shiny glossy looks of the device fool you into thinking that it is delicate and fragile. The device possesses a shock dampening system that uses an internal suspension technology which minimises any possible damage in case it falls or slips.  It was able to resist a few knocks and falls.

Rubber Feet:

The Transcend StoreJet 25D2 comes with a rubber dock base that allows you to rest your drive on a flat surface ensuring stability.

Interface:

The device comes with a USB 2.0 interface capable of speeds up to 480Mbps although it would have been way better had USB 3.0 been the interface. But we believe that 2.0 will be still here till 3.0 takes over the market completely in a big way.

Plug and Play:

Another feature of the device is Plug and Play. There is absolutely no need for installing any software as it is in the case of the earlier drives. All you need to do is plug in the device and you are all set to use it.

Capacities Available:

The StoreJet 25D2 Portable Hard Drive is available in 250GB, 320GB, 500GB, 640GB and 750GB capacities. The cost per GB is pretty competitive when compared to its rivals in the market.

Compatibilities:

The drive is compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7. Another specialty of the device is its compatibility with Mac operating systems. Any OS later than Mac OS 9.0 is capable of running the drive. Linux users have to note that the device is compatible with Linux Kernel 2.4 or later versions.

StoreJet Elite Backup and Security Software:

Transcend Elite is a new software developed for use with StoreJet. It has easy user friendly applications that help in maintaining files organised, protected and updated. The software uses Intelligent Backup Scheduling and Multitasking and helps in backing up various types of files. The files can be organised in different categories. Large files can be compressed and private data can be encrypted by adjusting a few settings. There is the option of flexible scheduling that allows you to back up data at regular intervals of time. Options such as Real time incremental backup, AES encryption make this software very useful to the user.

Performance:

Fortunately, the Transcend StoreJet 25D2 USB External Hard Drive is good with performance too, delivering about 30mbps to read and 24mbps to write a 10GB folder. This rate is faster than the ClickFree Portable Backup Drive, Lenovo ThinkPad USB Secure Hard Drive, Iomega eGo Camo and the Seagate FreeAgent Go too.

Accessories:

The device comes packed with a very stylish travel pouch that protects the device from all sorts of scratches. A USB Cable is also provided with the device and is black or white depending on the colour of the drive you chose. There is a quick start-up guide that is pretty helpful for first time users and a warranty guide booklet out lining the warranty details.

An Eco-friendly Drive:

The Drive also scores points for being eco-friendly. The device is designed to sleep in case of 10 or more minutes of inactivity thereby saving up to 25 percent power.

Warranty:

The device comes with a three year warranty period which is considered decent. Though it pales out in comparison to the 5 year warranty that major hard drive manufacturers give, it is better than the 2 year warranty some other drives have.

Verdict:
The Transcend StoreJet 25D2 is a pretty decent device. It looks good, feels good and is pretty solid. It is rugged and portable, making it perfect for people always on the Go.

Transcend StoreJet 25D2 External HDD - Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Transcend
Model Name	StoreJet 25D2 Mobile hard drive
Colours available	Black and White
Dimensions (H x W x D)	129.9 x 82.07 x 17.3 mm
129.9 x 82.07 x 17.3 mm	191 grams
Form factor	2.5 inch
One touch backup	No
Available Capacities	250GB, 320GB, 500GB, 640GB and 750GB
Buffer size	8MB
Hard disk type	SATA
Spindle speed	5400 rpm
Data transfer rate (max)	480 Mbit/s
Compatible operating systems	Windows XP / Vista/7 , Mac OS 9.0, or later and Linux Kernel 2.4 or later
Power saving mode	10 minutes
Software	StoreJet Elite
Certification	CE, FCC, BSMI
One Touch Backup	No
Warranty	Three years

The market of external hard drives has become so competitive that it has become virtually impossible to get stuck with a bad drive; most of the drives come very close to one another in terms of price and performance. However, as far as the extras are concerned, they are not the same overall, and this is where the models of Western Digital stand out, and the My Passport Essential is no exception as it has a great deal of features.

Design:

Casing:

The Western Digital My Passport Essential has been built to the same size, weight and basic footprint of its sibling WD My Passport Elite, with the dimensions being (H x W x D) 15 x 126 x 80 mm and weighing 0.18kg. As in the case of most of its other Western Digital siblings, the My Passport Essential too possesses a glossy finishing. This kind of finishing has its advantage of having a stylish look, but not so great when it attracts fingerprints and smudges. But, we do not think this will be much of a concern for the consumers. This housing has a thick built with tight seams and minimal flex. There are 4 small rubber feet that helps the drive sit securely on some of the angled desktops in the market.

Colour Options:

With the hi-gloss finish, the potential consumers have a wide range of colour options. Currently, there are eleven options for Western Digital My Passport Essential 500GB hard drive in the market; while few of them are really eye-popping, a few are downright scary; Midnight Black, Deep Viola, Intense Blue, Real Red, Vibrant Pink, Brilliant Orange, Cherry Red, Arctic White, Raindrop Blue, Super Sunny Yellow & Ultra Mint.

Portability:

As far as portability is concerned, it fits comfortably into any camera bag, along with a travel nettop. Not too long ago we reviewed the My Passport Elite that was quite impressive, hence we are delighted to see a less expensive version offering similar kind of specifications. With the identical hard drive inside, the Essential is basically an Elite in a plastic glossy finishing with just a few of the details of the upper tier models stripped off. When not in use, the My Passport Essential 500GB Portable External Hard Drive is easily tucked away into a convenient neoprene zippered casing, which is complete with a spot for the USB cable.

Similarities with Elite:

Apart from the matte finishing, what the Essential has not taken from Elite is the sliding port cover. Rather than offering the rubberised protection found on the older models, the interface on the Essential is exposed to the elements. Similarly, the capacity gauge and status lights have been given an axe and replaced by an illuminated USB icon that glows blue while the drive is doing anything with the system. While the capacity gauge is certainly a very handy feature on the Elite, the clutter free design of the Essential is a great visual as well as functional statement. The use of the drive is as simple as it looks.

My Passport Essential Hard Drive Capacities:

While shooting outdoors on vacations, the huge capacity memory cards will be sufficient for a day or so, but when it is a week of adventure, suddenly you will end up with a large amount of huge files, that is where the large capacity portable hard drive come to rescue. The My Passport Essential was released in four capacities ranging from 160GB to 500GB. But currently, only the 500GB version is available for sale. The spindle speed of the drive is 5400rpm, and regardless of the capacity of the drive, both the models are connected through USB2.0, which provides a potential maximum data transfer rate of 60mbps.

Interface:

Since the Passport Essential USB 2.0 external hard drive is fully powered through its USB connection, it provides a very convenient and single cable solution giving the drive a great deal of portability. If you are working with a portable netbook and working on its battery power, you might run into power issues.
What is worrying is, instead of employing the mini USB to connect, the drive makes use of the less-known micro USB interface. The micro USB connectivity can be usually found only on smartphones, but hardly on USB drives, as it less reliable than the Mini USB found elsewhere. That is, if the Essential drive happens to be knocked down while a data transfer is in progress, the procedure might end up failing. This is no good on a drive that is supposed to provide peace of mind If you happen to lose the cable that you get in the packaging, you may have to kick yourself, as it is far unlikely that you might find a replacement hanging around.

SmartWare:

The Western Digital My Passport Essential 500GB unit comes preformatted to be used with a Windows system, and the drive gets recognised immediately in both PCs and Macs. If you are one of those Mac exclusive persons, Western Digital satisfies you with the WD My Passport Studio. On plugging in the drive for the first time into the system, it calls up the drive’s software installation page. The utilities include WD Sync, Copy Application Software and Google Software. If your AutoPlay is enabled, the very first time the My Passport Essential is plugged in, the SmartWare Software shows up. The SmartWare Backup software is one of the best in the industry, being highly user friendly and offering complete drive security. The software insists that you install a copy of the software in the host system; this is not too ideal and we would like to run it directly from the drive itself. However, once the installation is done, you get a plethora of features.

The WD Sync is, as the name indicates, a synchronisation and encryption software that enables synchronisation of data between various systems using the Passport Essential. You also get to protect your data on the drive with the 128-bit encryption. This is exactly the same file type that can be found on the LaCie Little Disk, but just re-branded for Western Digital. If you are using the Essential on a friend’s system, you will also be able to sync the native PC’s wallpaper, so that your friends system feels more at home. Note that, this utility is Windows only. The Copy Application Software has the capability to backup the software that is included in the Passport Essential. The Google Software has the complete suite of browser tools and other software offered by Google. While Google is great, the suit is actually not related to storage and seems a bit like crapware. However, we do appreciate the quick access to Google toolbar, Google Desktop and Picasa on a fresh hard drive.

As we had mentioned previously, all of the installations are handled through simple and easy to navigate through auto-run screen. Though WD has not offered its Anywhere Backup application, which is a great tool, we do not think that will prove to be a deal breaker for most consumers.

Backup Preview:

A feature we liked the most is the preview mode of the backup that does the scanning of your host PC for the essential files such as, documents, pictures, videos and others, and presents you with a simplified graphical representation of the amount of disk space that will be needed to be backed up. As soon as the backup is set, there is no need for you to have any worries about this; SmartWare keeps an eye on your PC for any new files, and continues to backup on a regular basis. Overall, the process is quite neat and tidy.

Performance:

Moving on to performance, the read and write speeds of the My Passport Essential  500GB Hard Drive is more than satisfactory. The Essential reads small files at a rate of 11.3mbps and large files at a rate of 48.8mbps. The writing speed of small files being 21.3mbps and 34.2mbps, that is with or without the encryption being on. Considering that it is a USB-only drive, the My Passport Essential id quite fast and, and it is, the only drive we had seen that matched the My Passport Essential’s USB data transfer rate is its cousin, the My Passport Elite.

Heat and Noise:

The heat and noise performance of the Essential is very impressive. Its ability to control heat dissipation is amazing, and after spinning for about an hour with some serious photo editing, it became only slightly warm. The bottom of the dive which is the hottest, had a temperature of just 89 degrees Fahrenheit, which was barely noticeable. As always, the plastic case of Essential proved to be an amazing insulator. Even the slightest noises from the drive were hardly noticeable. Even as we moved the drive in use, it has no discernible effect on the pitch, which is an excellent sign as far as the construction of the drives volatile parts are concerned.

Warranty:

Western Digital My Passport Essential comes with three years warranty for parts and labour.

Verdict:

Being a USB2.0 external hard drive, the My Passport Essential is small as well as capacious. Apart from the very minor niggles; the My Passport Essential is an attractive gadget to consider. Even some of the colours the model is available in makes it look more cheesy and juvenile. The speed is just perfect, with the backup tool as well as the full-disk 256 bit hardware encryption at a cost of 14p per GB is no different from the other 750GB portable external hard drives; this makes the drive an excellent value with one of the most affordable cost per GB ratios currently available.

Western Digital My Passport Essential 500GB - Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Western Digital
Model Name	My Passport Essential
Model Number	WDBACY5000ABK
Drive type	Portable
Enclosure Type	Plastic
Hard Disk Interface	Micro USB
Dimensions (H x W x D)	15 x 126 x 80 mm
Weight	0.18kg
Colours available	Midnight Black, Deep Viola, Intense Blue, Real Red, Vibrant Pink, Brilliant Orange, Cherry Red, Arctic White, Raindrop Blue, Super Sunny Yellow & Ultra Mint
Interface	USB2.0 and USB3.0
Capacities available	500GB
Spindle Speed	5400rpm
Software included	WD Sync, Copy Application Software and Google Software
Compatible systems	Formatted NTFS Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 Mac OS®X Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard (requires reformatting)
Data transfer rate	USB3.0: 5GB/s USB2.0: 480Mb/s
Power Source	Interface
Package contents	Portable hard drive WD SmartWare software USB cable Quick Install Guide
Warranty	Three years