Which portable hard drive is the best?

Question

I am going to buy an external portable hard drive which one should i choose?

Answer 1

1
Best
Buy

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Sony Giga Vault
• 40GB
• USB 2.0 interface
• 5400 rpm
• 2MB buffer
• Price when ranked: $240 ($6.00 per GB)
• Full Specs
• Check latest prices Drive neatly balances performance, features, and support, and can run on battery power rather than on bus power. No backup software included. Retested this month. ( May 04)
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2


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Ximeta NetDisk Mini
• 40GB
• USB 2.0, ethernet interfaces
• 5400 rpm
• 2MB buffer
• Price when ranked: $230 ($5.75 per GB)
• Full Specs
• Check latest prices Portable drive can connect to a network and comes with a limited version of Norton Internet Security 2003, as well as with rudimentary backup and syncing software. ( Nov 04)
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3


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WiebeTech ComboGB 40GB
• 40GB
• USB 2.0, FireWire 400, FireWire 800 interfaces
• 5400 rpm
• 8MB buffer
• Price when ranked: $230 ($5.75 per GB)
• Manufacturer's Pricing Triple-interface pocket drive is one of the first to support FireWire 800. Comes with ample cables and PDF documentation, but no extra software. ( Nov 04)
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4


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Seagate 40GB Portable External Hard Drive
• 40GB
• USB 2.0 interface
• 5400 rpm
• 2MB buffer
• Price when ranked: $169 ($4.23 per GB)
• Full Specs
• Check latest prices Well-priced but average performer is attractive and comes with a limited yet useful disk utility for running diagnostics and for partitioning the drive. ( Nov 04)
Test Report
5


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IOGear 2.5-inch USB 2.0 FireWire Ion Drive
• 40GB
• USB 2.0, FireWire 400 interfaces
• 4200 rpm
• 2MB buffer
• Price when ranked: $280 ($7.00 per GB)
• Full Specs
• Check latest prices This expensive drive turned in average speed and it lacks software. A $60 increase in price caused a drop in ranking for this former Best Buy. Retested this month. ( May 04)
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Answer 2

Build your own.

A USB 2.0/Firewire 400 enclosure can be had for about $40. A good one will be fanless and use the aluminium casing to let off heat. Mine's an Argosy.

Then, get a Seagate hard drive and put it in the case. Seagate make the best hard drives.

If you buy a prebuilt external hard drive, you'll probably end up with a noisy fan and a cheap hard drive mechanism.

For another $20 or so you can get an enclosure that you can plug in to a network via Ethernet and use as a file server.

I've used my homebuilt external drive for overnight backups without any heat problems.

Answer 3

are you sure? A memory stick is easier and cheaper.

Answer 4

SEAGATE