External Hard Drives

Let us review specs for some of the most popular external hard drives on the market. The 40GB Sony GIGA vault drive is a balanced unit, which features a 2MB buffer and a USB 2.0 interface. The Giga Vault has passed consumer reviews and industrial appraisals with flying colors. Similarly, the Wiebetech Combo 40GB and Ximeta NetDisk Mini devices perform well under fire. The Combo comes with a 8MB buffer, while the NetDisk unit only has a 2MB buffer. That being said, you will get Norton security protection with the NetDisk and handy synch up software. The Combo GB, on the other hand, features 5,400 RPM action and several FireWire interfaces (the 400 and 800).The handsome-looking Maxtor OneTouch 300GB hard drive is a capacious, yet relatively tiny drive with a very good gigabyte-to-dollar ratio at wholesale. Maxtor may be releasing speedier models down the line, but this device easily connects via USB or FireWire port and provides a 2MB buffer to support numerous applications.Top tier hard drives typically come with one year limited warranties and weigh approximately 10 ounces. These devices are slim--generally just 3.5 inches x 7 inches x 0.75 inches. Manufacturers and sellers often list their external hard drives by a ratio of money per gigabyte. For instance, you may be able to find the IOGEAR 2.5 inch USB 2.0 FireWire Ion-Drive for $4 per gigabyte.Some units, such as the Western Digital Dual-Option Media Center, offer a number of media card reader options for greater flexibility. Others, such as the SimpleTech Deluxe Portable Hard Drive, eschew rich features for super speed and backup software potency.