| Backup on the go | |
| Priyanka Joshi / April 6, 2009, 0:33 IST | |
Portable hard drives are ideal for business travellers who need efficient data backups on the road.
These external drives are mostly USB powered, small enough to fit into a laptop case — some can even fit in the palm of your hand – and offer up to 500GB of reliable storage.
We checked the latest Imation, Toshiba and Buffalo portable hard drives for basic feature specs and transfer speeds, and see what they have in store for users with different storage needs.
Imation Apollo portable drives are available in capacities of up to 500GB. We tried out Apollo’s 160GB variant. This one is lightweight and pocket-sized, much like others of its ilk, but is not exactly a looker, what with black plastic and white chrome finish.
The drive comes with pre-loaded backup software called ArcSoft TotalMedia Backup, available in versions for both PCs and Macs. It offers a number of options to the user, which is a pleasant surprise given the basic version of the software.
One can automatically scan or hand-pick files and folders from one’s computer. There’s also a choice provided between full and incremental backup in case any file or folder has been modified. Further, one can add new categories to personal documents selection and choose specific formats.
The software packs in a built-in scheduler to let users automate the backup process. To put the drive through standard paces, we set up a number of schedules and did some manual backups. We saw the drive deliver a satisfactory speed of 6 minutes for 1GB of data. At Rs 4,500, it proves to be a useful pick.
However, if you want more storage capacity, then Toshiba’s 500GB USB external drive is a delight. This sleek and attractive device can easily fit in any pocket. We copied a 4GB folder that contained over 1,500 files consisting mainly of photos and videos to the drive, and clocked a data transfer speed of around 10 minutes.
Toshiba’s 500GB drive comes loaded with Windows and Mac versions of NTI Shadow, a backup software programme. After installation, the software provides for voluntary backup by checking boxes from a list of directories and document folders, created automatically by the software.
Other backup features include selection of specific file extensions, such as .jpg or .exe. You can even select a backup destination, like the Toshiba external drive, your internal disk drive or some other networked drive. Retailing at around Rs 5,500, Toshiba also packs in a 3-year warranty and is compatible with Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista as well as Mac OS X 10.3.9.
Buffalo MiniStation’s big ticket to fame is a technology called TurboUSB, which, claims the company, is up to 64 per cent faster than a USB 2.0 connection.
The MiniStation comes encased in a shock-resistant chassis, so it should weather a bit of wear and tear. Users need to simply connect the drive to any PC and it will be seen as an extra drive automatically, without any driver installation.
However, to experience an unbeatable data speed, you will have to install the TurboUSB driver. Other software supplied with the drive includes Memeo AutoBack up which is an automatic backup utility.
There’s also Secure Lock Ware, which acts as an encryption tool helping users secure information. The 120GB Buffalo MiniStation is priced at about Rs 4,000.
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