Running out of disk space? Don’t worry, you are not alone. With the file sizes hitting new highs everyday thanks to high-definition content, increasing complexity of graphic-rich game engines and other such factors, one has to have extra disk space. Gone are the days of needing to install new hard disk drives into your Laptop or PC to satisfy increasing storage needs. Here come the Portable Hard Disk Drives to your rescue. Also known as 2.5″ External Drives, these trendy and sleek devices mostly work on USB 2.0 interface. This means you can seemlessly plug in your entire data and media collection into any computer.
Top 5 2.5” External Hard Disk Drives
First decide on the storage capacity you will need. 160 GB is more than enough for backing up your documents and carrying your favorite movies and songs. If you’re a gamer or an entertainment buff who likes to carry his collection of movies, music and disc images, then a 320 GB or 500 GB storage device will be required. Not only the storage capacity matters, butinterfaces, transfer speeds, access times, price and more can play a critical part in purchasing the right device. Here, we bring you a well researched roundup of Portable Hard Disk Drives.
Seagate FreeAgent Go
Well, Seagate is the first thing that strikes when it comes to External Hard Disks. FreeAgent Go portable hard drive is an absolute stunner from the moment you lay your eyes on the sleek enclosure wrapped in clam-shell packaging available in wide range of colours and capacities of 250 GB, 320 GB and 500 GB. A desktop hard drive dock is available which allows the Seagate FreeAgent Go to easily connect to your desktop for hassle free connectivity.
Performance is pretty good with above average results with 256MB file sizes taking 30.6MB/s to read and 20MB/s to write, though it drops down with smaller file size. The included software is packed with useful features to realize the true potential of the drive, unfortunately only on Windows. Mac and Linux users will have to hunt for something else. Another let down is that there is no encryption software bundled with it. Its after sale support is amazing and is available even in remote corners. This trendy device is recomended as it has a perfect balance of mobility and reliability.
Iomega eGO Red Ruby
The gorgeous looking Iomega eGo flaunts a ruby red anodized aluminum shell with chromehighlights at the ends. The drive packs in a 250 GB Seagate Momentus 5400.4 SATA hard drive. The Iomega eGo is rugged and it won’t fail if you drop it accidentally. It offers backup solutions for both Windows and Mac Users, but you have to download the application which is a bit bothersome. Again, data encryption is missing. The average read and write speeds is impressive. Iomega eGo makes it to the top as it zooms through the ‘multiple files write’ test. While other drives took almost a minute to write 1 GB of multiple files, this one took 15 seconds less. The Iomega EgO is for those who want a sleek-looking drive with top-notch performance.
Transcend StoreJet 25M
With an attractive price per ratio along with a good bundle of features, this one gives the best value for money. The chocolate brown drive with orange highlights comes encased in a rubber sleeve that makes it shock resistant. It comes with One-touch backup and the software included for this purpose is brilliant. Also the other features included in the software are very useful and are quite impressive. This is a above average device with decent read and write speeds. It takes around 20 seconds to transfer a 700 MB DivX movie to the drive at 30MB/s. But it takes a blow when you transfer multiple files. With 160-500 GB of storage, ruggedness and one-touch backup, this one has a very competitive price tag that makes it worth buying.
Western Digital My Passport Elite
My Passport Elite is the most flexible of all the products offered by WD. The design is average and color options are not very trendy compared to Seagate’s offerings. But this one has a capacity gauge that is implemented by four LEDs located on the front part of the case. On the performance front, this device maxes out the USB 2.0 bandwidth by reaching approximately 31.8MB/s of maximum throughput. The bundled software is pretty good, which permits backing up data not only to your My Passport drive, but also to locations, other USB drives, and even an iPod. This WD device with 500 GB capacity supports 128 bit encryption too. So, if you are looking for capacity, performance, security and backup, this one is for you. It has everything but exceptional design.
Samsung S2 Portable
This trendy Samsung S2 Portable Hard Disk is available in 500 GB, 320 GB, 250 GB, and 160 GB capacities. Available in four different colors – black, brown, red, or white – this device is designed for the females and flashy kids. With a weight of 170 g for the 500 GB model and 154 g for the 320 and 250 GB capacities, this device is one of the lightest 2.5” portable storage available. It comes bundled with a simple backup utility and a powerful encryption software. Having a 5400 rpm disk, S2 gives an average read speed of 34.5MB/s which is quite impressive. It has the looks and the performance to match it, but is very steeply priced. Incase you have some extra dough to spend, get one of these.
Now, it is upto you to choose the one for your needs. Go for the kill!
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