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

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