External Hard Drives

The best solution for a simple external storage is an external hard drive.  Networked solutions are good too, but if you need to connect the drive to a single system, External drives rule.  It is altogether another issue that one can never really have enough drive space.  Apart from memory, another area that drives should focus on is the safety of your data.  Unless you run a mirrored RAID array, you could lose all your data in the event of a hard drive crash.  For most people, the back up solutions ranging from Online backup to multiple drive NAS storage are either expensive, slow or hard to setup.

Seagate FreeAgent XTreme provides a portable, easy to use external hard drive which packs sufficient storage, delivers good performance and has decent connectivity options for most needs. Available in 500GB, 640GB, 1TB, 1.5TB and 2TB, the Xtreme has a 3.5 inch based hard disk drive. Despite the drive being a bit mundane, we appreciate its simple design, and the fact that its price per gigabyte is almost as the same as drives that have fewer connectivity options.  It worked quietly through out testing and has 3 interfaces.  We got a thorough review done on it. Read to find out if it is worth your penny.

Design:

Facelift:

The drive seems to have received an external facelift, expanded connectivity and more capacities. The newer Seagate FreeAgent XTreme External Hard Drive is smaller in size when compared to its predecessors, the Seagate FreeAgent product line.  The black enclosure manages to be slim and has a few curved edges and some amount of lighting.  It is about 7 x 7 inches and an inch thick and is not particularly portable.  However, it would not take much of space on your bookrack or desk.  Unlike the previous models which could only stand upward, the newer one is capable of working in both vertical and horizontal positions. The drive looks sturdy enough for something else to be placed on it while in horizontal position. The vertical position is flimsy and not particularly that stable. There is also a detachable base present as well.

Body:

You will find the Seagate logo with a cool dot design on the fascia. This is a fresh change and Seagate have thankfully done away with that gaudy orange backlit strip present on the older drives. On the front of the FreeAgent drive is present a large LED which glows with a whitish light that indicates the status of the drive. The light pulses when the drive is busy, is steadily on when the drive is idle and switches off when the drive goes to standby mode.  On the rear side are two Firewire 400 ports, an USB 2.0 port and an eSATA port.  All the plugs-ins are perfectly positioned and one can connect all four ports at once without any interference.

Lacks a Power Switch:

Another grievance in the Seagate FreeAgent XTreme is the fact that it lacks a proper power switch.  Instead, there are software controls which are used to activate the device.

Capacities and Compatibility:

The FreeAgent XTreme is available in 5 different capacities: 500GB (ST305004FDA2E1-RK), 640GB (ST306404FDA2E1-RK), 1TB (ST310005FDA2E1-RK), 1.5TB (ST315005FDA2E1-RK) and 2TB (ST320005FPA2E3-RK).

The XTreme  Desktop Drive is compatible with Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Ultimate, or Business Service Pack-1, Windows XP Home, Professional, Media Center Edition Service Pack-2 and Windows XP/Vista.

Lacks eSATA cable:

If there are decent connectivity options, there would not be many issues for hooking up. What was lacking was the inclusion of an eSATA cable. This is not something that most people have at home or is available at stores.  Considering that the eSATA interface is its main advantage over the cheaper FreeAgent Desk, the fact that eSATA is the fastest option available in the market that and that the XTreme has an eSATA option and no cable provided along, made us wonder why Seagate excluded it in their list.

Setup:

Setting up the FreeAgent XTreme Hard Drive is quite easy.  Setup your drive where you want to and plug in the power and then plug the USB cable to your computer. The front will be illuminated with white LEDs in a pulsating manner.  Since Seagate uses a mini USB cable to connect to your PC, even if you lose the provided cable, one can buy another one elsewhere.  After charging it up and plugging it to a PC, a window pops up asking what you want to do. It is optional to install the Seagate Manager software, but if you want to backup some files you might want to.

Features:

Software:

Unlike the crap collection of games or poorly coded applications one would rather not use, the Seagate FreeAgent XTreme’s includes simple easy to use and highly useful software which surprised us. The Application used less than 3 MB of memory while running and does not leave your system exhausted.

Seagate Manager:

The Software is really easy to use and the main screen shows you how many drives have been installed.  Just select it and go to the settings menu where you can adjust the power settings, test the drive or adjust the LED controls or even check for a software update. There are 4 buttons on the top.  Backing up data with the FreeAgent software is an easy simple way to back up. The simple backup will backup all the documents in your my Documents folder everyday. But one cannot backup the same folder at different times on different days.  The custom backup would allow you to backup all the files of your choice. One can choose the folders, file types and which days and time to backup.  Since one can select only a single setup plan, one can also sync and has a choice: custom sync and simple sync. In the set of sync options, you can choose the sync now button and can even set copy and replace rules.

Note: A Seagate technician confirmed that there was no Online Backup option like there was with the older drives.

Cumbersome Security Function:

The security function of the software is rather tiring to use. It is monotonous to use and lacks the ability to password lock or encrypt the entire drive. The lack of an inbuilt RAID functionality was also bit of a let down. One needs to create a password for encryption, after which the files need to be dragged and dropped into the virtual folder.  This is not the end as one needs to delete the originals.  To open these encrypted files, you have to open the virtual folder and decrypt them.  The drag and drop encryption is time consuming and cumbersome especially if you want to read multiple encryption.

A note for Mac Users:

The FreeAgent XTreme has no problems whatsoever with the Mac, but to be used, you have to reformat it. Try checking the FreeAgent Deck out which is a product exclusively made for Mac users and has the eSATA port replaced with Firewire 400 ports.

Performance:

The product’s performance is limited, thanks to connection type (It is about 480Mbps for USB, 400 for Firewire 400 and 3Gbps for eSATA). The real world performance is naturally much shorter than the above mentioned values. The Drive performed well and lived up to our expectations. The Firewire connection was a little bit faster but the real focus was on the eSATA port. The average transfer speed hovered about 50Mbps for the eSATA and for the USB was about 29 Mbps.  With a peak of 107 MB/sec and an access time of 11ms, the XTreme beats the WD My Book Digital Edition in terms of transferring data through an eSATA port. The new enclosure runs cooler than the previous generation models and if there is a fan inside it, it is hardly audible and hence is a quiet device.

Competition:

Finding a decent drive around the same price as the XTreme is very difficult. We believe that the Western Digital My Book Studio Edition is the nearest rival. Even though the latter is marginally more expensive, it also does not ship with an eSATA cable. The XTreme represents a value for money as long as you use the eSATA connection along with the software provided.

Cost n stuff:

Unless you consider the three interface option to be intense, there is simply nothing particularly extreme about the Seagate FreeAgent XTreme. Despite the mundane nature of the drive, just like us, you must have liked the simple and functional design, fast performance and its easy to use software. With the three most wanted interfaces, Seagate has kept its price per Gigabyte cost in line with the drives that offer fewer connectivity options.

Power Consumption:

You need not worry about switching off the drive separately not because it lacks a power switch but because the drive itself drops into a low power consumption mode. In this mode, the drive consumes only a meager 5 watts of power.  Even if you would want to save that little amount of electricity, you would have to switch the drive off a plug.

Accessories:

Apart from the main drive are provided a power cord, a USB 2.0 cable. Firewire cable,an Instruction manual and a stand for supporting the drive. If you think the stand does not look nice, the drive can be still mounted horizontally thanks to the rubber base feet. We wish an eSATA cable had been included in the kit as well.

Warranty:

The FreeAgent XTreme is a great device and we believe that it would hardly require any support beyond the duration of warranty. The XTreme has a mind boggling warranty of 5 years. Considering most drives offer 3 (some offer just one year!) years, this is very generous of Seagate. While Seagate will not pay any sort of compensation in case of data loss, at least one can get a replacement for the crashed drive. There is a toll free phone service available on weekdays from 5 am to 7 pm or you can get technical support by emailing via a Web form. The Seagate’s official site offers troubleshooting assistance and has a downloadable driver library and a list of FAQs.

Verdict:

Seagate has delivered yet another great product in the form of the FreeAgent XTernal hard drive.  Its simple and cool design, excellent connectivity and superb performance have impressed us.  The LED on the device is really cool and adds to the style the device carries. The software provided allows one to setup a backup plan easily and even sync folders, which also allows you to encrypt folders for extra security. Its performance is on par with the USB and Firewire standards and our test results demonstrated a three fold performance advantage in a couple of situations. The drive is highly useful if you have loads of data to transfer and very little time.

Considering there are cheaper drives in the market, the fact that they lack connectivity options such as eSATA or Firewire 400 gives the XTreme an unassailable lead.  Sure, you can buy an enclosure and a drive and setup a drive. But this not only is a fool proof model to add storage, but also has great software as well. It is an excellent external drive and offers a better value for money than its rivals. If you need the flexibility of an external hard disk drive with the amazing performance of an internal one, the XTreme is the way to go. It would have been a great package, had an eSATA cable been included.

Check External Hard Drive Best Buys, other Seagate External Hard Drive Reviews, Specs in our website.

Seagate FreeAgent XTreme Hard Drive External - Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Seagate
Model Name	Seagate FreeAgent XTreme
Model Numbers	500GB : ST305004FDA2E1-RK 640GB : ST306404FDA2E1-RK 1TB: ST310005FDA2E1-RK 1.5TB: ST315005FDA2E1-RK 2TB: ST320005FPA2E3-RK
Model	Slim line model
Drive type	Hard drive array
Dimensions (H x W x D) inches	6.89″ x 1.33″ x 6.77″
Weight	3.06 lbs
Enclosure	Black
Drive Type	3.5″ drive
Spindle Speed	7200 rpm
Capacities available	2TB, 1.5TB, 1TB, 640GB and 500GB
Interfaces	USB 2.0, FireWire and eSATA
Read/Write Speed	USB 2.0: 28Mbps / 16Mbps FireWire 400: 36Mbps/ 18Mbps eSATA: 40Mbps/ 37Mbps
Power Source	Self powered
Software included	Seagate Manager
Compatible systems	Microsoft Windows Vista / 2000 / XP
Mac Compatible	Yes
Package contents	Hard drive, USB cable, four rubber feet, vertical stand, Firewire cable, Wall wart power supply, Quick Start guide, Warranty statement.
Warranty	5 years

Backing up data is similar to flossing: Everyone needs to do it, but no one likes to. Portable drives now do the tedious task of copying our precious files.  Seagate Technology is a leading brand when it comes to manufacturing external hard drives and has several drives to suit your specific need. Recently, the company has announced the Seagate Replica PC Backup system which completely eliminates the need to manually learn, manage or dedicate any time for the entire backing up process.

Seagate’s Replica drives are designed to do one thing and do it simply: back up your entire Windows PC. They literally make a replica of your system, operating system and all. Designed to do only the single thing of backing up your entire PC, it is a useful plug in hardware and acts as a personal automatic file backup and continuously monitors changes in files and system. The device connects to the computer via a USB port and needs no sort of configuration or installation. In many ways it is the PC user’s reply to the Apple’s Time Machine managing to combine an elegant form factor and data protection. Does it really suit your needs? Read the following review to find out.

Design:

The first thing that strikes your mind when you look at it is its resemblance to the MacBook Air.  The razor thin drive and with those tapering edges make it look sleek and stylish. Seagate Replica Hard Drive also has a silver coloured exterior made up of plastic. Weighing about half a pound, the device itself is fairly compact measuring 5.61 inches high by 3.99 inches wide and 0.72 inches deep. There is a nifty docking base that is provided with the more expensive 500GB ones is glossy black and makes the whole drive look classy. The dock is just a plastic housing that mounts the drive vertically; it still needs to be connected to PCs one at a time while backing up. The silver finishing of the drive makes us assume that it must be a product of Apple, which it is not.

The rubberised backing on the bottom of the drive makes sure that the dock less single PC version is safe on your desk. There is a little blue LED light on top of the drive that blinks continuously when data is being transferred. The cable which is hardwired to the two headed model drive makes sure it gets proper amount of power from power ports from some ports. But it also might mean that one needs to sacrifice two ports instead of one.

Capacities available:

The Seagate Replica is available in 2 Configurations: The 250GB one and the 500GB one. The 250GB Replica is an entry level drive geared to single PC Backup while the more expensive 500GB version not only comes with a dock, but also is capable of backing up multiple PCs (For that you need to connect to the PCs one at a time while backing up). The extra 250GB you get is actually worth the money even if you use the drive with just one PC.

Setup:

Unlike most backup solutions in the market these days, the Seagate Replica installs software on to your PC when connected to it. Compatible with Windows Vista and XP, all you need to do is connect the Replica to a USB port and then a window pops up with the option to “Start Seagate Replica”. Once you click OK and agree to EULA, the software is ready to backup your data. After you do the initial full-image backup, the Replica backs up your PC incrementally as files are added, deleted, or altered. You can leave the Replica connected to your machine or disconnect it and then plug it in when you are ready for another backup. If you are attempting to back up multiple PCs, the drive predetermines whether you have room to back up the second PC and will not start the backup process unless you do.

When the drive is plugged in next time, it checks for updates to the Replica Software and downloads the most current version and starts mirroring your PCs content. The software installation is a minor annoyance and can be looked over.

Features:

Complete backup:
As the Seagate Replica’s site claims: No file is too big or too small.  The Seagate Replica as the name suggests that they are designed for just one thing: Backup the entire Windows PC of the user. They make a replica of your system including the OS. It is like Mac OS X’s Time Machine Backup but for PCs. The Drive can backup everything on your PC including programs and various settings. This is unlike the Clickfree 500 GB Portable Hard Drive which can only store photos, data and documents .

Labour Intensive:
Backing up data cannot get simpler than this. No more wondering how to get things done as the Seagate Replica backs up all of your data and keeps updating it whenever you make changes. The replica is very handy for users who are not really that tech- savvy.

No Fear of Data Loss:
The Seagate Replica PC Backup system ensures that your data gets the best of protection. The availability of features such as “Retrieve” makes sure you can easily retrieve accidentally deleted files. There is also an option to restore your entire system in case of a PC crash. The recovery disc provided lets you boot up a misbehaving PC and restores the entire Drive. In addition to a complete hard drive recovery, it can also restore single individual files with a single drag and drop action. One can also recover deleted files even after emptying the Recycle Bin.

The Same old Windows Interface:
The Windows Interface means that there is no need to learn a new convention for the backup interface menu to browse for Old files. One can dump all the data on one (or all of your PCs) in less than 5 clicks. The Deleted files show up as dimmed icons enabling you to identify them as quickly as possible. It also allows you to choose from multiple saved versions with a right click.  When one hovers over an icon in the toolbar, the date and time of the last backup plus progress of current data transfers is shown.  One can set a password; choose which hard drives to backup and one can even choose to remove a PC if the device is being used to backup multiple PCs.

Windows Only:
No matter how much the drive seems to resemble Apple’s MacBook Air, the irony cannot be evident. The Drive handles backup of data only for PCs with Windows OS. This fails to bridge the gap in households with computers of Windows and Macs.

Backup Software:
The Seagate Replica Backup Software is basically built around the same engine as the Rebit 500 Backup drive. But in this case, all the support and branding is Seagate’s. The underlying premise will load software and then install a program that stays in your PC. The drive does not support Windows XP with a FAT32 formatted format C drive and Mac users as well.

When the drive is plugged in to the PC, it will continuously backup all the changes made to the PC’s hard drive.  To ensure free space, the Replica automatically removes the oldest version of files. However, we would have preferred the option of permanently saving all the archives so that we can return the PC to a particular old state. The option for accessing multiple saved files at any point of their saving is an added bonus.

Performance:

Slow Initial Backup:
The Startup process is short whereas the actual backup is a time consuming endeavor. When connected to the PC and tried backing up 130 GB of data, it took about 4 whole hours. If you have more than that it would be preferable if you do the backup overnight when you would not be accessing the machine.

Subsequent Backups are faster:
After the initial full image backup, the Replica backs up your PC as files are added, deleted or even altered.  If you keep it connected to the PC while all the changes takes place, the backup takes little time. But if you ever disconnect the Replica and reconnect it after a long time, it may take a while to catch up and back up the latest version of the system.

Restoring the PC:
Under test conditions, when we tried restoring all the data of our PC using Seagate’s restore utility, it took over an hour to restore the system. Since we had limited files on our system beyond the core, it would probably take longer to restore a typical user PC.

Inflexible:
The Biggest disadvantage of the Replica is that it is a one trick Pony: It can only backup the entire hard drive and does not allow backup of select files. If you are looking for more flexibility, there are other choices. However, you can recover select files in case of a crash.

A silent drive:
In spite of having a huge amount of data to backup, we noticed that the Seagate Replica was quietly whirring. The noise was below 30 db and can hardly be audible in day to day life.

Accessories:

The Replica comes with some bare bones software and some decent set of accessories. Seagate gladly did away with those added cables and software that the older hard drives had. There is a USB 2.0 cable, recovery guide and a recovery CD in the kit. The USB cable is unusually short and can be replaced with any standard mini USB cable.  As mentioned earlier, the 500 GB version comes along with a docking base as well.

Competition:

When it comes to competition, Apple’s Time Machine and the Clickfree Portable Hard drive are its rivals. The Time Machine is only for Mac Users whereas the Clickfree can backup data both on Mac and Windows as well. Since the Time Machine is only for Mac users, it restricts the number of users who would like to use it. The Replica is Seagate’s response to the Time machine, backing up data only for PC users. The Clickfree has an upper hand in this case. But the Clickfree has chintzy hardware and interface and backs up only document sort of data that is pictures etc. This is where the Replica has a lead over the Clickfree.

Warranty:

There is a five year manufacturer’s warranty on the Seagate Replica from the date of purchase. This is another advantage of the device as the warranty period is much longer than what most devices offer.  There is support offered in the Seagate site and all questions related to Installation, Troubleshooting and other FAQs can be asked over there.

Verdict:

The Seagate Replica is worthy of being a top choice if you want to back up an Entire windows PC and has switched from FAT32 to NTFS. If all you want is to back up your data and keep a copy for safe keeping without much setup hassles, the Replica is appealing.  However, it has its list of shortcomings too: It cannot work with Mac systems, incompatible with FAT32 drives; full drive recovery requires booting from a CD and has hoops when you upgrade your PCs. Nevertheless, it has managed to impress us with its supremely easy usage and comprehensive protection from failure.  So if you are lazy, not really tech savvy or all you want is backup all data of your PC efficiently, the Replica is a simple solution to get your data backed up.

Seagate Replica Backup Hard Drive - Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Seagate
Model Name	Seagate Replica Hard Drive
Model Number	500GB model: ST905004BDA101-RK 250GB model: ST902504BDA101-RK
Model	Slim line model
Drive type	Hard drive array
Hard Disk Interface	USB 2.0
Dimensions (H x W x D)mm	114.08 x 142 x 50
Weight	Drive : 420 grams ( 0.92 pounds) Package :570 grams ( 1.25 pounds)
Colours available	Silver
Capacities available	250GB and 500GB
Hard Disk Rotational Speed	5400 rpm
Software included	Backup Software for PC users.
Compatible systems	Microsoft Windows Vista / 2000 / XP
Mac Compatible	No
FAT32 supported	No
Package contents	Hard drive, USB cable, Recovery Guide, Recovery CD.
Warranty	5 years

Transcend, Inc. is a highly recognised and popular manufacturer, renowned worldwide for its products which deal with multimedia and storage features. Transcend Information, Inc. was established in the year 1988. It flaunts a widespread variety and a huge range of generalised standard and proprietary modules, solid state drives, portable hard drives, flash memory cards, digital music players, USB flash drives, card readers and other full line range of multimedia products.

Transcend Hard Drives:

In today’s international market, even though there is an increasing demand and popularity of solid state drives, still the marketing statistics show that hard drives are still leading the sales and demand worldwide. Even though the solid state drives have gained a firm ground in the market, but still, with larger storage capabilities, better usage and larger wide scale adoption, the hard drives are the most popular storage device. And this success of the hard drives is accelerated by the continuous addition and evolution of advanced technologies, which boost the performance factor and also provide better backup options. And when it comes to Hard Disk Drives, Transcend Information, Inc. is a name that inevitably pops up at the very first. Transcend, with its huge full line range of storage and multimedia deviceTranscend StoreJet 35T is an in competitive leader in this field and it boasts of a wide range and variety of Hard Drive Units. Moreover, with the new line up of the StoreJet series from Transcend, which sports auto backup features, has a special Turbo HDD transfer mode and very high storage capacities of up to 1.5 terabytes, it has left behind the other competitors of its league.

The StoreJet 3.5T:

Towards the end of the year 2009, Transcend gifted its wide variety of StoreJet hard drives line up with a new member in their family – the StoreJet 35T. The StoreJet 35T is quite an advanced and developed hard drive for its purpose and leaves behind most other devices of its kind when it comes to the statistical representation in the international market. It has a number of worthy features like the One touch Auto Backup button and the Turbo HDD data transfer mode. It is the presence of these features that make the Transcend StoreJet 35T Hard Drive an ideal system for all kinds of data management including downloading data, uploading data, transferring data to and from the device and is a good storage device for vital and important data and information and provides more space than other such systems found in the market.

Basic Ergonomics of the StoreJet 35T:

The StoreJet 35T 1.5TB Hard Drive is Transcend’s latest addition to its range of hard disk drive, which is hardly the size of a hardcover book. The storage device is made up of glossy black cover and is streamlined. With a huge storage capacity of 1.5 Terabytes, the Transcend StoreJet 35T provides ample space for storage of documents, essential files and folders, pictures, music, and videos. It has no limitation for the format of the files to be stored as it supports anything and everything. The Transcend StoreJet 35T has a very slim, sleek and slender design. Moreover, the casing and the designing is made in a unique way which allows the device to be kept upright, in a standing position, without any external support like stands. This means, the footprint of the device is quite small, that is, it takes very less space and as a result, saves precious space on the desk. With a weight of a maximum of 1040 grams, and physical external dimensions of 172.4 mm x 152.4 mm x 44.8 mm (L x W x H), the StoreJet 35T is not really a bulky device, but is rather quite practical, chick and stylish and is designed quite handsomely. This device is very convenient for use at office or at home and is one of the best of its kind.

Features:

Interfaces and Compatibility:
The StoreJet 35T 3.5 inch hard disk drive operates on a 3.0 GB/s eSATA, and with the help of a 2.0 USB interface, has a performance factor of around 480 Megabits per second. The Transcend StoreJet 35T hard disk drive connects through both the USB 2.0 and the eSATA. Moreover, it is compatible with most of the home computers as well.

A cool drive:
An excellent cooling system maintains the stability of the device and helps in protecting stored data and information. Most other storage devices have a tendency to get overheated, which often results in an irreversible data loss. Thus, due to the advanced and efficient cooling solution with a high – low fan of 80mm, the Transcend StoreJet 35T prevents unusual data loss, and thus protects important files, folders, data and documents.

Eco-Friendly:
Moreover, the StoreJet 35T hard disk drive is very eco-friendly as it flaunts a Turbo HDD USB technology which has a special feature, that is, the power saving sleep mode. This Turbo HDD USB also sports a feature which enables a high boost in data transfer rates to an amazingly high average of 42 Megabytes per second, compared to the average 33 Megabytes per second, which is the generalized standard for most data storage devices prevalent in the market, which is almost 30 percent advanced and better than the others.

With a maximum spindle speed of around 7200 rpm and a maximum buffer speed of 32 Megabytes, the StoreJet 35T is quite efficient in working capabilities and usability. The average temperature of the device ranges from 5 degrees Celsius ( 41 Fahrenheit ) to 55 degrees ( 131 Fahrenheit ).

The Turbo HDD USB Transfer Mode:
The Transcend StoreJet 35T Desktop hard disk drive sports a cutting edge modern day technology which features an unprecedented performance in data transfers, with a high altered speed of 42 Megabytes per second, which is an increase of about 30 percent than the regular average of 33 Megabytes per second. This feature is optional, that is users can, by their own will switch from normal mode to the Turbo HDD USB mode and vice – versa. And, this is catered with a change in the colour of the ring shaped LED indicator, which changes its colour from green to a bright shade of blue to notify the change in mode and the acceleration in speed. Another utility of this feature is that, when the device is inactive, it automatically goes off into a sleep mode after 10 minutes. Thus, it is efficient and saves the wastage of power up to 67 percent when the device is idle.

One Touch Auto Backup Button:
The Transcend StoreJet 35T External Hard Disk Drive has another unique feature – The One touch auto – backup button, which makes data transfer and storage extremely easy and convenient. This feature is unique to Transcend as no other hard disk drive manufacturers sport this kind of a feature in their data storage products. This system of backup with the click of just one button makes it very convenient and handy for users to instantly backup and/or synchronize the data and information stored in the device with their PC or their laptop. This also ensures that all important data has a hard copy and that it is also stored in a secondary location for safety. StoreJet Elite software is another useful utility tool, bundled with the individual device features, a bonus gain which offers a smart way of scheduling the backups, along with the other Internet tools and other advanced and modified security tools.

Box Contents:

Other than the Transcend StoreJet 35T external hard disk drive, the package also contains a USB cable for synchronization of the device with a desktop PC or a laptop or notebook. A power adapter is provided for charging the device. A Quick start guide, which is a user manual for the users to read and understand the functions and features of this storage device, before using it. And a warranty card is also provided by the manufacturer.

Warranty:

A 2 years return to base Manufacturers warranty is provided with the Transcend StoreJet 35T External Hard Disk Drive.

Verdict:

This high performance storage device is definitely one of the best of its kind. With the shockingly high storage capacity, along with a highly accelerated transfer speed it is one of the best storage devices one can ask for. With an advanced cooling solution, a power saver sleep mode, and other Store Elite software for security, maintain proper, safe and secure data storage abilities, which is a great plus point. And to top it all, the Turbo HDD transfer mode is a unique additional feature, which places the Transcend StoreJet 35T way above than the other storage devices of its type in the priority list. This is a very good buy for users, who want a huge storage capacity, complimented with proper security, good performance and amazing transfer speed.

Check other Transcend External Hard Drives, Latest External Hard Drive Reviews, Specs, Ratings in our website.

Transcend StoreJet 35T Turbo HDD - Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Transcend
Model Name	StoreJet 35T
Form Factor	3.5″
Interface Type	USB 2.0 and eSATA
Colour	Black Streamlined
Capacity	1.5TB
Other Capacities available	1TB
Performance	USB 2.0: 480Mbits per second
HDD Details	Built-in 3.5″ SATA hard drive
Dimensions ( length x width x height )	172.4mm x 152.4mm × 44.8mm
Weight	1040g
System Requirements	Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Mac OS 9.0 or later and Linux Kernel 2.4.2 or later
Processor Speed	7200 rpm (max)
Buffer	32 MB (max)
Certificates	CE, FCC, BSMI
Special Features	TurboHDD mode which boosts device performance by up to 30% One touch Backup and security
Power Saving Mode Timer	10 Minutes
Power	AC Input : 100V – 240V DC Input : 12V/2A via Switching Power Adapter
Packaging	Transcend StoreJet 35T external hard disk drive USB Cable Power Adaptor Quick Start Guide Warranty Card
Warranty	2 years manufacturer’s warranty

Hitachi has been a major name in the Electronics segment manufacturing from the smallest of the accessories to huge gadgets.  One segment where they have forayed is the portable hard drives sector and one of their products the Hitachi LS-1000-EMEA 3.5-inch 1TB Simpledrive External USB Hard Drive is the on the focus this time. This well designed drive offers USB 2.0 storage while consuming minimum power and giving your data the security it needs. With software like the Hitachi Backup software, loosing data is history.  Does the drive live up to the claims of the company? Read the review to find out.

Design:

Compact and Light:
The picture on the package does not really do justice to the device. While the image on the package shows the drive to be bulky, it is actually relatively light and compact. At 16.6 cm x 5.9cm x 12 cm, the drive comes under the larger sized drives.  It weighs a little over a kilogram making it very light and hence very portable.

Elegant and Classy Design:
It is a white case with a black border on the top and is provided with a stand. The Device feels rigid and once you remove those plastic pieces on the end of the shiny black, it looks classy.  The main casing is made of aluminium and there is no trace of flimsiness. The upright design looks great and would look perfect on your desk. The black bits gleam and have a substantial feel to it. Classy and Business like.

The Blue Light Indicator:
There is a dark blue line right close to the base that makes it look elegant. That is primarily for indicating that a drive is being accessed when connected to a PC.  The light is bright enough even to be seen in bright daylight and does not blind our eyes like some other drives do. Present on both sides of the device, there is no option to switch on/off the indicator, much to our annoyance.

Easy to Setup:
Gone were the days when installing or setting up something was rocket science. Nowadays, the maximum you need to do to install your hard drives is plug in to your PC. Same is the case for Hitachi LS-1000-EMEA 1TB Hard Drive. Simply connect the power cord to the wall that is the other end of the USB drive to the back of the PC. Voila! You are ready to go. This Plug and Play setup is hot swappable. It can be removed from the PC after being disabled from the Safely Remove Hardware application.

Features:

Compatible with Vista and Mac as well:
The LS-1000-EMEA is compatible with PCs and Mac as well. Amongst the Windows OS’ it works with Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft XP and Microsoft 2000. It works with Apple MacOS X 10.4.11 or later versions of that.

This drive is also available in 2TB capacity.

Switches on/off along with your PC:
You do not need to worry if your drive is switched off or not as LS-1000-EMEA 3.5-inch 1TB Simpledrive has the ability to automatically switch on and off along with the PC it is connected to.  When connected to the PC and if the PC is switched off, the drive automatically is switched off as well.

Memory and Size:
The Hitachi LS-1000-EMEA External USB Hard Drive is provided with a Memory of 1TB. The internal hard drive in the drive is the Hitachi Deskstar™ 7K1000.C (HDS721010CLA332).  1 GB can store about 350 Mp3 tracks and over 800 high quality digital camera shots. So, 1 TB can store a lot of data. How much? You do the math.

It lacks a Firewire port and the Standard 3.5 “Drive arrives in a FAT32 format and can be formatted to NTFS as well.  The rpm of 7200 it has, is an industry standard.

Hitachi Backup Software:
Along with the Drive is provided a software bundle with applications like the Hitachi Backup Software. The Backup software allows you to choose folders that you want to back up. To restore them, one can use either the provided software or access the files from the drive where they are stored. The backup software is very simple and effective to store data. Apart from all this, there is automatic backup as well, which backups your data periodically to minimize data loss.

Performance:

A Bit Noisy:
Enough with all the positives, one major fault that the Hitachi drive has is its noise. The Drive makes a louder than average noise while reading/writing when placed on a desk.  Nothing serious, but will be an irritant especially if you are doing some other activity while the drive is being accessed or read. Yet the noise is nothing compared to the other devices in the market these days. In order to cut down on the noise, all you need to do is place the drive on some sort of a cushion. Instant relief.

Good Performance:
When we tried transferring some music into the Drive, we realised it was reasonably fast. 320GB took about 3 hours and 550GB in about 6 hours. So, pretty typical USB 2.0 transfer speeds. A normal format is a matter of minutes but it does not check the whole drive. If you would want to format everything in the drive it would take about 10 whole hours! Our tests revealed that the read speed works out to 25MB/s.   A reasonably good performance.

In the Box:

The Hitachi LS-1000-EMEA comes along with the hard drive, a USB 2.0 cable, an AC Adapter, a Quick install guide and a Hitachi Backup Software.  Overall, a reasonable stock of accessories is provided.

Warranty:

The Hitachi LS-1000-EMEA 3.5-inch 1TB SimpleDrive External USB Hard Drive is provided with a warranty of 3 year. That is reasonable considering most drives in the market these days offer a warranty of 1 to 5 years as well. You can also get toll free support on weekdays from 7 am to 5.30 pm. Live Chat help and Email tech support is provided as well from the SimpleDrive site. There are FAQs, downloadable software, drivers and tips for troubleshooting provided on the site.

Verdict:

The Hitachi LS-1000-EMEA 1TB Simpledrive is a great drive at a great price. It offers what most users want in an external hard drive – a huge storage capacity, automatic backup and good performance. While the first causalities of its low cost is the absence of a Firewire port and perhaps another USB drive, all in all, the drive is a great purchase and is definitely recommended if you would not mind a little bit of noise.

Check other 1TB External Hard Drive Models, Hitachi External hard drive Reviews, Ratings in our website.

Hitachi LS-1000-EMEA 1TB External Drive - Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Hitachi
Model Name	Hitachi LS-1000-EMEA 3.5-inch 1TB Simpledrive
Model Number	LS-1000-EMEA
Model	Slim line model
Drive type	Hard drive array
Enclosure Type	Desktop
Hard Disk Interface	USB 2.0
Dimensions (H x W x D)	62×165.1×120.65mm
Weight	1 kg
Colours available	White
Capacities available	1TB and 2TB
Hard Disk Rotational Speed	7200 rpm
Cache	8MB
Software included	Hitachi Backup Software for PC users.
Compatible systems	Apple MacOS X 10.5.2 or later, Apple MacOS X 10.4.11 or later, Microsoft Windows Vista / 2000 / XP
Power Source	Power adapter
Power Requirements	100 - 240 VAC
Package contents	Hard drive, USB cable, AC adaptor and a quick install guide
Warranty	3 years

Ever since the advent of the USB storage devices, it has become extremely easy to add storage to your PC without opening up the case of your CPU and cram in a hard drive.  Western Digital needs no introduction as it is easily amongst the top in the storage industry. It’s “My Book” series are amongst the most popular external hard drives in recent years.  The company has a series of hard drives that are devised to suite the specific needs of individuals.  Their attractive casing, solid built quality and great performance makes the Western Digital external hard drives very popular.

The latest model launched is the Western Digital My Book Essential Edition 1TB USB 2.0, which promises a good chunk of a space at an equally tempting price.  It is a USB 2.0 drive external storage device that can be used in either RAID 1 for data security or as a single volume in RAID 0 to take full advantage of the 2 other drives. Though not intended for high throughout performance, its read and writes speeds are on par with other external hard drives.  This drive is also projected to be more eco friendly and consumes less power than its predecessors.  Targeted at users the external hard drive is perfect for users looking for a simple and secure direct attached storage solution.

Design:

Glossy again:

The WD My Book Edition’s glossy black interior makes it look incredibly sleek and hence dust and fingerprint prone.  The casing and the curved corners makes it resemble the classic books and it can easily nestle amongst the books of your rack.  Though it would have been better, if it were designed to stand vertically, users want the book feel. The External hard drive is relatively compact for its two bay enclosures, but the real disappointment is the bulky power adapter which makes the package less portable.

Ports and Connectivity:

On the front of the drive is an LED whose colour changes with the drive’s status - powered on, in use, idle, and error. On the back of the drive is a power connector, a low profile USB 2.0 port and a power switch button. It lacks a Firewire port and an eSATA connection, which is extremely disappointing. However, that is justifiable, as the drive (which is preconfigured for RAID 1) is optimized for data protection rather than speed.  Here lies the true USP of the drive: If any one of the drives dies, all you need is to replace the drive and there would be absolutely no data loss.

When configured for RAID 0, the extra storage space comes at the cost of more vulnerability.  The 2 drives cannot be set up as 2 different volumes and the status and data integrity of one drive has nothing to do with that of the other.

Compatibility, Configuration and Capacities:

The My Book Essential Edition is available from 500GB to 2TB capacities. The My Book Drive is compatible with Windows® XP, Windows Vista®, Windows 7 in the Windows range and Mac OS® X, Tiger®, Leopard®, Snow Leopard in the Mac series. The Drive supports the following languages : English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian.
The file setup is FAT32 that allows you to save about 4 GB in size and one can switch onto the NTFS. If you are a Mac user, all you need to do is to reformat it into OS X’s file system HFS+.

Setup:

Setting up the Hard drive is very easy. All you need to do is plug the power cord to the wall , other end of the drive, USB to the back of the PC and then to the back of the drive.

Features:

Hard drive:
The internal hard drives are user replaceable and all you need to replace them is press a spot in the middle of the top front edge and replace the drive.

The My Book uses the 3.5 inch SATA hard drives and allows you to use ONLY Western Digital hard drives. While this restricts the flexibility of the drive, it is not much of a problem as WD Drives are popular and are sold for relatively cheaper prices.

The Back Up Software:
Along with the drive, there is a full version of the WD Backup anywhere and a 30 day trial for Mionet for remote access. The WD Back up anywhere is a wizard driven back up solution and allows you to back up selected data to any other media including your iPod.  The serial key required to install the software is at the back of a corner on the back of the setup instructions poster – a very obscure place.  The interesting aspect of this feature is the Visual Backup feature that enables you to display your content in categories and show the progress of a backup.

Data Protection:
Data in the WD My Book is protected by an extra level of security with password protection and 256 bit hardware based encryption.

Cost per gigabyte:

It is not fair to compare the My Book Essential to single direct attached hard drives atleast, in terms of cost per gigabyte. When viewed against single drive units from Maxtor and Vox, the model offers a very compelling value. It is cheaper than the LaCie 2big Dual and Vox V1. Even when you factor that you get roughly half capacity when using the RAID 1 configuration, the My Book Essential offers a highly competitive value.

Accessories Provided:

Apart from the External Hard drive, there is the WD SmartWare software (preloaded), 2 USB Cables, an AC Adapter and an Instruction Manual that comes in the package. There are 2 USB wires provided with the device – one 5 inch and one 2 inch connectors. They are quite handy as most drives do not come with sufficient cables.

Performance:

The transfer rate on the USB 2.0 is about 60MB/s and the average read speed is around 35 Mb/s which is not as bad as it sounds. Sure it lacks Firewire and eSATA ports, but as mentioned earlier the drive focuses more on data protection.  A file transfer of 1 GB took almost 40 seconds and copying back to the computer took 20 seconds.  The edition is significantly faster than the LaCie while operating  through USB 2.0 but it trailed behind most single hard drives by a small margin.

It is reasonable to expect a write speed of 23MB/s and a read speed of 51Mb/s.

Power Consumption:

The Western Digital WDBAAF0010HBK External Drive is designed to save energy and uses WD Green power Technology to lower power consumption up to 30 percent. There is a sleep mode that reduces power during idle times along with a power saving feature that turns the drive off and on with the PC it is connected with. Apart from being a low power consuming drive, the company claims that the packaging has been entirely done out of recycled materials and hence, focusing on less wastage.

The battery remained cool even throughout long and lengthy workloads. Considering that it remains cool and does not produce much noise, the model is a winner in this segment.

Warranty:

The external hard drive is provided with a warranty of 3 years from the date of purchase. Though this is not as good as the 5 year warranty provided on some other drives, it is better than the stingy one year warranty provided on most other drives. The Western Digital website provides Web based support including downloads, a sizeable knowledgeable base, product RMA and an online installation guide.

Verdict:

The Western Digital My Book Essential Edition 1TB USB 2.0, is another product from the storage major that caters to users who are looking for a drive that offers good value as well as data security bundled with a stylish sleek design. Though the drive provides a rather impressive amount of external storage, the hardware seems to have a shell life and there are faster drives in the market than this. However, if you think the design would look great in your rack and you hardly care about the size or other features, this is a good choice.

Check other Best selling External Hard Drive Reviews in this website.

My Book Essential Edition 1TB Desktop Hard Drive - Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Western Digital
Model Name	My Book Essential Edition 1TB USB 2.0
Product Code	WDBAAF0010HBK
Drive type	Hard drive array
Enclosure Type	Desktop
Hard Disk Interface	USB 2.0
Dimensions (H x W x D)	137 x 54 x 166
Weight	1.15 Kg
Colours available	Black
Capacity	1TB
Other Capacities available	500GB, 640GB, 750GB, 1.5TB and 2TB
Drive Device, Buffer Size	Variable
Hard Disk Rotational Speed	7200 rpm
Software included	Memo AutoSync WD MioNet WD Anywhere Backup
Compatible systems	Apple MacOS X 10.5.2 or later, Apple MacOS X 10.4.11 or later, Microsoft Windows Vista / 2000 / XP
Data transfer rate	480 Mb/s
Compliant Standards	RoHS
Power Source	Power adapter
Power Requirements	100 - 240 VAC
Package contents	WD My Book Mirror Edition external hard drive, USB cable, AC adaptor and a quick install guide
Warranty	3 years