External Hard Drives Buyer's Guide

The dark secret about hard drives is that no matter how much storage space you start with, you'll probably need more before very long.

It's a consequence of living in a digital age. Not only do we have data files containing our papers, letters, spreadsheets, and e-mails, but now we also store an unending amount of music, pictures, and even video on our computers. And always -- always -- just when you thought you had everything you needed tucked neatly on your hard drive, up pops something new that you also must have and keep forever.

Thankfully, while it's not infinite, hard drive capacity is scalable. You can add more. You could pop the lid on your PC, dig in with a screwdriver, and add drives until you run out of bays or ports. Very few of us have enough bays or ports to accommodate hard disks labeled up through "Z." Besides, if the inside of your computer is nice and neat, you'll mess it up. If it's already a mess in there, do you really want to deal with it?

Enter the external hard drive.

There's no fuss, no muss, no diving into your computer and tangling yourself in cables. With rare exception, they are true plug-and-play devices that will let you expand your storage capacity with as many drives as you have spare drive letters to apply to them.

The only real downside is that most add a power cable to your configuration so that if you attach four external hard drives you'll also need four free AC outlets. (The smallest members of the group, in terms of capacity and physical size, often eschew AC and work directly off your computer's USB port -- although they often require connection to two ports for sufficient power.) External drives typically range from less than a pound to a little over three pounds. That makes them easy targets for pockets and backpacks when you want to transport data between desktop computers or accompany your laptop on the road.

In most cases, you really don't need to worry about damaging them in transit -- all external hard drives are, at the very least, considered "durable." That specification does require a bit of explanation.

Wrapped in a shell, these devices tend to resist dust and moisture -- which doesn't mean you can park one in your wood shop or shower stall with impunity. Resistance is futile in heavily contaminated environments such as those.

But it does mean that if one is sitting on your desk or carried in your rucksack, under normal conditions, the drive will continue to function for a longer time than if it was just a bare drive. This not only applies to the larger 3.5-inch versions, but even the little, pocket-sized external drives based on 2.5-inch hard disks. As you might suspect, durable is a rather generic category.

There's also a "rugged" version of the external hard drive. While few in number, they are generally dust- and water-proof and, or so it's claimed, they also are impervious to the common desk-to-floor tip-over event. A "durable" drive would probably suffer damage to the case, at a minimum.

But there can be limits: We're mostly talking about nonoperational incidents. These are, after all, mechanical devices. Were you to drop one or even shake it briskly while it was reading or writing data, the odds are that you'd most likely destroy the drive, no matter what its classification.

Solid state drives are the epitome of ruggedness. They have no moving parts: there are no heads or platters to clatter and clash together. Moisture is about their only true enemy. Unfortunately, on a cost-per-megabyte basis, SSD pricing is calculated in dollars, while mechanical drives are rated in cents. The ratio keeps changing downward, but SSDs always will cost comparatively more. However, there is talk about a less expensive version of the device becoming available toward the end of the year and that could mean that practical SSD drives -- internal and external -- will be available by mid-2009. More often than not, you'll be given two possible interface options through which you can move data between your external hard drive and your PC:

Keep in mind that's megabits per second (Mbps) and neither comes even remotely close to the 3.0 gigabytes per second (GBps) rating of the serial ATA hard drive inside your box.

A third option, FireWire 800, is rated at a significantly better 800 Mbps, but PC owners will be hard pressed to find a complementary port as standard equipment on their computers. It is, however, Mac friendly and, as Apple increases its penetration into the marketplace, you'll probably see more of it on external drives.

A fourth option also has begun to appear: external SATA (or just eSATA). This is the same 3.0-GBps interface that's inside your PC brought outside the box. Unfortunately, few, if any, external hard drives have an eSATA interface included in their boxes. At best, they present you with an eSATA cable -- which has different connectors on the ends than the SATA cable used inside your PC. eSATA leaves you with three possibilities if you want to use it as your interface:

Naturally, if you have an existing eSATA port, you're on easy street. It's a plug-and-go solution (although you'll usually need to power down your PC first so it will recognize the added drive).

Whether to buy an eSATA card depends on your computer's configuration. In these days of scalable link interfaces and crossfire graphics (as well as graphics cards gorged with heatsinks, fans, and/or dual graphics processing units), you may not have a spare PCI slot available. It's always best to check first.

The adapter cable route is a bit more esoteric. Basically what you're doing is running an "extension cable" from a SATA port on the motherboard to an eSATA port on the outside. Typically they're available from Newegg or Addonics for $4 to $9 and often come with the back panel bracket -- but sometimes don't. The downside is that you will need to crack open your PC and make the connection to one of your motherboard's SATA ports -- which are often directly beneath the most dense entanglement of other cables and wires.

If you happen to see a USB to eSATA adapter and think it's an easy out, forget about it -- unless you're looking for USB transfer speeds despite having an eSATA option on one end of the food chain. (It's that "lowest common denominator" rule at work.)

Also, bear in mind that "transfer rates" are theoretical and highly optimistic. The throughput speed (that is, the actual rate at which data travels between your PC and external hard drive) depends on differing factors -- some of which are controlled by your computer -- and is often lower than the transfer rate. We've reviewed 25 external hard drives from 13 vendors. You won't see any external box in the group with a drive that's smaller than 2.5-inches. That's the typical laptop-sized hard disk. There are 1.8-inch and even 1-inch drives floating around, but they're typically used for flash drive alternatives and don't even remotely have the capacity available to 2.5-inch devices. (Samsung recently announced a 500-GB unit!)

As well as only dealing with external units containing either 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch drives, we're also limiting our group to single drive models. That caps the capacity for these external drives at 1 TB for the time being -- which is more than enough space for most of us, even the media hounds.

External enclosures with multiple drives are becoming more common, but for now, we're just looking for the simple gear. The mysteries (and overhead) of RAID ("redundant array of inexpensive disks") with which these devices are typically endowed are grist for another mill on another day.

As always, the statistics we're quoting here (like the drive's capacity) are from the manufacturer. They are mostly correct and sincere -- even the transfer rates, because of the way in which the testing is done. (You wouldn't expect them to make their own drives look bad, would you?)

As for the capacity, there's always a difference between the hard disk manufacturer's claimed amount of space and the equivalent computer-reported capacity. For a hard disk manufacturer, "1 KB" is 1,000 bytes. To a computer, it's 1,024 bytes. That little discrepancy is why you shouldn't be surprised when your 1-TB external hard drive ends up attached to your PC and displayed as a 931-MB drive. It's the digital version of "Your mileage will vary."

AcomData

Perhaps not the first name in external storage that might come to mind, AcomData nevertheless has some interesting possibilities.

Ondago
Capacity: 40, 60, 80, 100, 120 GB
Interface: USB, Firewire
Durability Rating: Tip-over
Transfer Rate: 480 Mbps, 400 Mbps
External Power Supply: No
Fan: No
Dimensions: 3.25" x 5.28" x 0.80"
Weight: N/A
Price: $99.95 (120 GB)
Web Site

The Ondago is a pocket drive wrapped in a water-resistant silicon sleeve. It features both USB and FireWire connectivity and has push-button backup capability using EMC's Retrospect Express.

HybridDrive 2.5
Capacity: 160, 250, 320. 400, 500 GB
Interface: USB
Durability Rating: Tip-over
Transfer Rate: 480 Mbps
External Power Supply: No
Fan: No
Dimensions: 2.9" x 4.8" x 0.55"
Weight: 6.24 oz.
Price: $79 (160 GB)
Web Site

Wrapped in stainless steel, the HybridDrive 2.5 is a USB-only device. Its Nomad application allows you to run OpenOffice.org (an open source equivalent to Microsoft Office) directly from the drive, no matter what computer it's attached to. As with the Ondago, the HybridDrive 2.5 also features push-button backup. Apricorn

Apricorn may be a little bit out of the mainstream but it has a good selection of external storage solutions.

Aegis Vault
Capacity: 80, 120, 160, 250, 320 GB
Interface: USB
Durability Rating: Tip-over
Transfer Rate: 480 Mbps
External Power Supply: No
Fan: No
Dimensions: 0.75" x 3.3" x 4.7"
Weight: 5.5 oz.
Price: $129 (250 GB)
Web Site

The 80-GB Aegis Vault is a bus-powered, USB drive with 128-bit AES encryption. While not officially classified as "rugged," the Vault nonetheless features a 16-point omni-directional shock mounting system.

Buffalo Technology

Buffalo is a prodigious international company with a range of external solutions that cover desktops and networks, data, and media, and the company even ventures into flash drives as well.

MiniStation TurboUSB
Capacity: 120, 160, 250, 320, 500 GB
Interface: USB
Durability Rating: Tip-over
Transfer Rate: 480 Mbps
External Power Supply: No
Fan: No
Dimensions: 5" x 0.8" x 3.3"
Weight: 6.72 oz.
Price: $290 (500 GB)
Web Site

The USB-only drive is available in sizes ranging from 120 GB to 500 GB and is powered through the USB port. It uses Memeo AutoBackup software and SecureLockWare encryption. Both are Windows-only applications.

DriveStation Combo 4
Capacity: 320, 500 GB, 1 TB
Interface: USB, FireWire, FireWire 800, eSATA
Durability Rating: Tip-over
Transfer Rate: 480 Mbps, 400 Mbps, 800 Mbps, 3 GBps
External Power Supply: Yes
Fan: No
Dimensions: 1.5" x 5" x 9
Weight: 51.4 oz.
Price: $164 (500 GB)
Web Site

Meant more for the desktop than the shirt pocket, the Combo 4 is available in 320-GB to 1-TB sizes and runs the gamut of interface options with USB, FireWire, FireWire 800, and eSATA. According to Buffalo, it powers down with your computer and features the same backup and security options as the MiniStation TurboUSB drive. Cavalry

We'll ignore the usual analogies to its arrival in the nick of time. Still, there's something about a company that lists 49 different desktop external drives in sizes ranging from 80 GB to 1 TB on its Web site.

CAXM01T0
Capacity: 160, 250, 300, 320, 400, 500, 750 GB, 1 TB
Interface: USB, eSATA
Durability Rating: Tip-over
Transfer Rate: 480 Mbps, 3 GBps
External Power Supply: Yes
Fan: Yes
Dimensions: 7.8" x 4.9" x 1.3"
Weight: N/A
Price: $225 (1 TB)
Web Site

While "CAXM01T0" may be an uninspiring name, this particular drive has a 1-TB capacity and can connect via USB or eSATA. Not only does it arrive with a USB cable, but there's also a SATA to eSATA port adapter that mounts to the back panel of your PC.

CAUQ25160
Capacity: 100, 120, 160 GB
Interface: USB
Durability Rating: Tip-over
Transfer Rate: 480 Mbps
External Power Supply: No
Fan: No
Dimensions: 5.0" x 3.2" x 0.2"
Weight: 4.8 oz.
Price: $118 (120 GB)
Web Site

The CAUQ25160 is a 160-GB, USB-only device that's powered either through your USB port or via a 5v adapter. Provided copy software will let you duplicate files or clone another drive and the CAUQ25160's biometric security should be able to keep it all safe.

Fortress

Right now a one-hit wonder, Fortress has created an impressive drive with near drop-kick resistance.

Fortress
Capacity: 60, 80, 100, 120 GB
Interface: USB, FireWire
Durability Rating: All-terrain
Transfer Rate: 480 Mbps, 400 Mbps
External Power Supply: Yes
Fan: No
Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.52" x 5.86"
Weight: 15 oz.
Price: $949 (120 GB)
Web Site

At 15 ounces, the Fortress drive is a comparative lightweight with 60-, 80-, 100-, and 120-GB capacity options. This is a rugged drive that's packed in an aluminum alloy enclosure that Fortress describes as incorporating a Visco-Elastic Dynamic Dampening System that will survive a 7-foot fall. It also claims that the drive is immune to severe vibration during operation. Connectivity options include both USB and FireWire. Iomega

Perhaps best known for its Zip drive series, Iomega also has a wide range of external storage solutions on tap. It was just purchased by EMC and that should add additional credence to its product line.

eGO
Capacity: 160, 250, 320 GB
Interface: USB, FireWire
Durability Rating: Tip-over
Transfer Rate: 480 Mbps, 400 Mbps
External Power Supply: No
Fan: No
Dimensions: 0.75" x 3.5" x 5.25"
Weight: 7.68 oz.
Price: $140 (250 GB)
Web Site

We singled out the eGO drive line-up because it's brightly colored and eye-catching. That's important when you're whipping an external hard drive out of your pocket in front of your friends. The eGo is available in both USB-only or USB/FireWire versions and in 160-, 250-, and 320-GB sizes. (The dual interface versions stop at 250 GB.) Iomega calls it "extremely durable," thanks to its DropGuard foam protector feature.

LaCie

LaCie is a prolific hard drive vendor with its fingers on the pulse of desktop, network, and mobile drive configurations. It doesn’t manufacture the drives themselves, but if you have an application for one, LaCie probably has a packaged solution for you.

Little Disk
Capacity: 120, 160, 250, 320 GB
Interface: USB, FireWire
Durability Rating: Tip-over
Transfer Rate: 480 Mbps, 400 Mbps
External Power Supply: No
Fan: No
Dimensions: 3.19" x 5.08" x 0.71"
Weight: 6.88 oz.
Price: $81 (160 GB)
Web Site

The Little Disk is one of the most elegant designs we've seen. It's available in 120-, 160-, 250-, and 500-GB capacities and connects via USB or FireWire. Included "1-click" backup and LaCieSync software gives you push-button backup capability, as well as data synchronization with the source computer.

Rugged Disk
Capacity: 120, 160, 200, 250, 320, 500 GB
Interface: USB
Durability Rating: Desk to floor
Transfer Rate: 480 Mbps
External Power Supply: No
Fan: No
Dimensions: 5.7" x 3.5" x 1"
Weight: 8.8 oz.
Price: $180 (250 GB)
Web Site

It may look like a giant orange chicklet, but LaCie's Rugged Disk keeps your hard drive sandwiched between a shock-resistant rubber sleeve and an aluminum shell. Called "Rugged," LaCie actually describes the drive as, "resistant to harsh elements for extra protection along the road of your adventures." It's rated at a 35-inch drop in nonoperating mode. The triple interface (USB, FireWire, FireWire 800) drive is available in 120-, 160-, 200-, 250-, 320-, and 500-GB capacities and, according to LaCie, it's compatible with the Mac's Time Machine backup software. Maxtor

One of the cornerstones of hard drives in general, Maxtor has kept its One-Touch line current, if not a bit futuristic. Don't be surprised if there are Seagate-branded hard drives inside the cases, as Maxtor has been part of Seagate for some time now.

One-Touch III
Capacity: 300, 500, 750 GB
Interface: USB, FireWire, FireWire 800
Durability Rating: Tip-over
Transfer Rate: 480 Mbps, 400 Mbps, 800 Mbps
External Power Supply: Yes
Fan: Yes
Dimensions: 5.4" x 2.6" x 8.5"
Weight: 51.2 oz.
Price: $90 (200 GB)
Web Site

Available in 300-, 500,- and 750-GB versions, the One-Touch III offers FireWire, FireWire 800, and USB connectivity. One-touch backup is available through EMC Dantz Retrospect Express HD software. Maxtor's DriveLock security feature will password-protect the contents of your drive. There is a carrying case and a spare power supply available for this 3.2-lb. drive.

One-Touch Mini III
Capacity: 80, 120, 160 GB
Interface: USB
Durability Rating: Tip-over
Transfer Rate: 480 Mbps
External Power Supply: No
Fan: No
Dimensions: 0.79" x 5.24" x 3.54"
Weight: 7.2 oz.
Price: $74 (120 GB)
Web Site

It's not just a shrunken One-Touch III (all right, at 7.2 ounces, it is). The Mini gives you 80-, 120-, and 160-GB hard drive sizes in a USB-only external enclosure. While it doesn't specify the backup software supporting one-touch backups, Maxtor does note that its DriveLock and Encryption Software for Windows will keep your data secure and that the drive is capable of automatic data synchronization between two PCs.

One-Touch 4 Plus
Capacity: 250, 500, 750 GB, 1 TB
Interface: USB, FireWire
Durability Rating: Tip-over
Transfer Rate: 480 Mbps, 400 Mbps
External Power Supply: Yes
Fan: Yes
Dimensions: 6.75" x 2.5" x 6"
Weight: 40 oz.
Price: $250 (1 TB)
Web Site

Officially, the One-Touch 4 Plus is classified as a business drive. (Cross out the "Plus" and you'll find the consumer model.) Still, with 250-, 500-, and 750-GB and 1-TB capacities, it's a difficult drive to ignore on the desktop. Likewise, the addition of a FireWire interface to the standard USB port adds to its cred. Maxtor's Safety Drill software creates a snapshot of your hard drive, as well as offering data synchronization, security, and automated backup scheduling (along with the usual one-touch backup feature). Micronet (Fantom)

Does the Fantom know? Possibly. Micronet seems to know enough to produce some mysterious hard drives.

Titanium Mini USB
Capacity: 160, 250 GB
Interface: USB
Durability Rating: Tip-over
Transfer Rate: 480 Mbps
External Power Supply: No
Fan: No
Dimensions: 5.125" x 3.37" x 0.62"
Weight: 6.3 oz.
Price: $90 (120 GB)
Web Site

The USB "MTT" series consists of pocket drives in 80-, 120-, 160-, and 250-GB capacities that weigh in around 6 ounces and are powered through the USB bus. The downside is that the drive carries only a 1-year warranty while the hard disk industry in general is moving toward 3 and 5 years of coverage.

Fantom G-Force
Capacity: 250, 320, 500, 750 GB
Interface: USB, eSATA
Durability Rating: Tip-over
Transfer Rate: 480 Mbps, 3 GBps
External Power Supply: Yes
Fan: Yes
Dimensions: 7.75" x 4" x 1.375"
Weight: 38.4 oz.
Price: $132 (500 GB)
Web Site

Weighing in at a slim (for a desktop external drive) 2.4 pounds, the G-Force 500-GB drive permits both USB and eSATA connectivity. The aluminum case acts as a heatsink, negating the need for a fan. The big boy among Fantom drives also carries just a 1-year warranty.

Seagate

Although it gobbled up Maxtor, Seagate has managed to maintain its own identity -- and more. Its FreeAgent line of drives is actually stylish!

FreeAgent Go
Capacity: 80, 120, 160, 250 GB
Interface: USB
Durability Rating: Tip-over
Transfer Rate: 480 Mbps
External Power Supply: No
Fan: No
Dimensions: 3.9" x 4.8" x 0.7"
Weight: 6.4 oz.
Price: $122 (250 GB)
Web Site

Seagate thinks you should not only have 80, 120, 160, or 250 GB of portable hard drive capacity, but also peace of mind when you take it with you. The USB pocket drive will let you run e-mail, keep cookies, IM contacts, and your settings and files on the drive so you can run and access them no matter what computer you've attached it to. And not only will leave no footprint behind, but it also will synchronize your data and keep it safely encrypted as well.

FreeAgent Pro
Capacity: 500, 750 GB, 1 TB
Interface: USB, Firewire, eSATA
Durability Rating: Tip-over
Transfer Rate: 480 Mbps, 400 Mbps, 3 GBps
External Power Supply: Yes
Fan: Yes
Dimensions: 7.5" x 1.4" x 6.3"
Weight: 16 oz.
Price: $260 (1 TB)
Web Site

Although this is technically a desktop drive, Seagate provides the same file and settings options as it does with the Go model for running some applications and accessing your data without leaving a trace of what you've done on an attached PC. There are two iterations of the Pro: one that supports FireWire, USB, and eSATA and another that lets you shave a few dollars off the price by omitting the FireWire option.

FreeAgent Desktop Drive
Capacity: 250, 320, 500, 750 GB
Interface: USB
Durability Rating: Tip-over
Transfer Rate: 480 Mbps
External Power Supply: Yes
Fan: Yes
Dimensions: 6.4" x 1.6" x 7.5"
Weight: 16 oz.
Price: $100 (500 GB)
Web Site

While the Pro version of the FreeAgent tops out at 1 TB, the Desktop Drive takes a step "backward" with 250-, 320-, 500-, and 750-GB sizes. It also sports only a USB interface. Seagate's brag for this line is that its footprint is about the size of a stapler and the USB port is in the base. SimpleTech

And you thought tech couldn't be simple if it tried. Fabrik disagreed and the resulting company, SimpleTech, really has made things easy.

Simple Drive
Capacity: 250, 320, 500 GB
Interface: USB
Durability Rating: Tip-over
Transfer Rate: 480 Mbps
External Power Supply: Yes
Fan: Yes
Dimensions: 7.5" x 2.2" x 5"
Weight: 4.8 oz.
Price: $80 (320 GB)
Web Site

The name gives away the entire concept of this drive: USB interface, plug and play, in 250-, 320-, and 500-GB capacities. The catch is that you get 2 GB of online backup storage free of charge. That's not a catch? How about unlimited online storage for about $5 per month? No, that's not a catch either. Sounds too simple.

Pro Drive
Capacity: 500, 750 GB, 1 TB
Interface: USB, eSATA
Durability Rating: Tip-over
Transfer Rate: 400 Mbps, 3 GBps
External Power Supply: Yes
Fan: Yes
Dimensions: 10.5" x 4.0" x 9.0"
Weight: 55 oz.
Price: $270 (1 TB)
Web Site

Add some hard drive growth hormone to the Simple Drive and end up with the Pro Drive. There are 500- and 750-GB and 1-TB versions and they're equipped with USB and eSATA interfaces. The drive also is bestowed with the Simple Drive's same 2 GB of free online storage or unlimited online capacity for about $5 per month. It was probably simpler just to keep things the same.

US Modular

Somewhere in Irvine, Calif., sits a company called US Modular that boasts of having standard and custom storage solutions and providing 24/7 live tech support. We like a company willing to go to extremes.

XtremeDrive
Capacity: 60, 120, 160, 250 GB
Interface: USB
Durability Rating: All-terrain
Transfer Rate: 480 Mbps
External Power Supply: No
Fan: No
Dimensions: 5.83" x 3.71" x 1.36"
Weight: 8 oz.
Price: $229 (120 GB)
Web Site

The XtremeDrive is touted as an ideal solution for the military, which makes sense as it meets MIL-STD-810F and IP67 military standards. The exterior shell will protect the 2.5-inch drive during operation against the intrusion of dust, the ingress of water "in harmful quantity" at a depth of up to one meter, and up to 1.0 G of vibration. While there is limited availability of the 60-GB version, the 120-, 160-, and 250-GB drives are mainstays. The USB XtremeDrive weighs in at 8 ounces. Western Digital

Western Digital is another one of the granddaddies of storage. While it made its name with internal drives, WD has more than a few external options that should catch your eye.

My Passport Essential
Capacity: 120, 160, 250, 320 GB
Interface: USB
Durability Rating: Tip-over
Transfer Rate: 480 Mbps
External Power Supply: No
Fan: No
Dimensions: 0.58" x 4.97" x 3.13"
Weight: 3.7 oz.
Price: $119 (160 GB)
Web Site

How can you ignore an external hard drive that's available in "11 delicious colors?" You almost don't want to stash it in your pocket and take it with you. If only there was a Velcro option! Still, with available capacities of 160, 250, and 320 GB, an advertised carrying weight of just 0.231 lbs., and USB power, it might be difficult to leave the Passport at home.

WD Elements Desktop
Capacity: 250, 320, 400, 500 GB
Interface: USB
Durability Rating: Tip-over
Transfer Rate: 480 Mbps
External Power Supply: Yes
Fan: No
Dimensions: 8.02" x 1.42" x 4.9"
Weight: 35.84 oz.
Price: $116 (500 GB)
Web Site

When Western Digital says that its Elements external drive has a rugged metal case, it means rugged-looking. It provides no water, vibration, or drop survival data for the drive. But it does look tough. Available in 250-, 320-, 400-, and 500-GB capacities, the USB-only drive tips the scales at 2.24 lbs.

My Book Home Edition
Capacity: 320, 500, 750 GB, 1 TB
Interface: USB, FireWire, eSATA
Durability Rating: Tip-over
Transfer Rate: 480 Mbps, 400 Mbps, 3 GBps
External Power Supply: Yes
Fan: No
Dimensions: 5.4" x 2.1" x 6.5"
Weight: 37 oz.
Price: $220 (1 TB)
Web Site

The yin to the Passport's yang, the My Book Home Edition can be yours in 320-, 500-, 750-GB and 1-TB flavors. Its triple interface (USB, FireWire, eSATA) makes it quite versatile (and even speedy on the eSATA side), while its looks will fit in even at the office. Highlights here are that the drive powers on or off with your PC and there's a capacity gauge showing at a glance how much relative storage space is available.