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  STORAGE

Synology Disk Station DS-107+

EDITORS CHOICE
1
EDITORS RATING
8.3
SPECS
THE GOOD

Sophisticated, responsive, robust and intuitive Web interface; practical, useful, and original features such as Photo and Surveillance stations; supports Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 as media adapters; great expandability.

THE BAD

The surveillance feature supports only one camera out of the box; eSATA port located on the front; Download Station doesn't support Web sites that require authentication. No RAID.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Synology DS107+ is the most sophisticated NAS device we've tested to date. Its more advanced features require some networking know-how, but the included software and Web interface go a long way in helping you tackle the various offerings. You can't beat all the features you get for the price.

REVIEWED: 08-May-2008 10:28 AM PDT
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Western Digital My Passport Studio (320GB, Mac)

EDITORS RATING
8.1
SPECS

320 GB, IEEE 1394 (FireWire) / Hi-Speed USB

THE GOOD

Decent performance; bus-powered; capacity gauge works as port cover; Mac OS X-ready; cool and quiet during operation; five-year warranty; low cost per gigabyte.

THE BAD

No option for external power; no FireWire 800.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Whether you use a Mac or a PC, the 320GB Western Digital My Passport Studio is the perfect compact external drive with a low cost per GB, a compact design, decent performance, and a surprisingly lengthy warranty.

REVIEWED: 12-Jun-2008 09:59 AM PDT
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Western Digital My Passport Studio (250GB, Mac)

EDITORS RATING
8.1
SPECS

250 GB, IEEE 1394 (FireWire) / Hi-Speed USB

THE GOOD

Decent performance; bus-powered; capacity gauge works as port cover; Mac OS X-ready; cool and quiet during operation; five-year warranty; low cost per gigabyte.

THE BAD

No option for external power; no FireWire 800.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Whether you use a Mac or a PC, the 320GB Western Digital My Passport Studio is the perfect compact external drive with a low cost per GB, a compact design, decent performance, and a surprisingly lengthy warranty.

REVIEWED: 12-Jun-2008 09:59 AM PDT
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Western Digital My Passport Studio (160GB, Mac)

EDITORS RATING
8.1
SPECS

160 GB, IEEE 1394 (FireWire) / Hi-Speed USB

THE GOOD

Decent performance; bus-powered; capacity gauge works as port cover; Mac OS X-ready; cool and quiet during operation; five-year warranty; low cost per gigabyte.

THE BAD

No option for external power; no FireWire 800.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Whether you use a Mac or a PC, the 320GB Western Digital My Passport Studio is the perfect compact external drive with a low cost per GB, a compact design, decent performance, and a surprisingly lengthy warranty.

REVIEWED: 12-Jun-2008 09:59 AM PDT
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SimpleTech Signature Mini (250GB, gray)

EDITORS RATING
8.1
SPECS

250 GB, Hi-Speed USB, 2.5", 8 MB, 5400 rpm

THE GOOD

Large capacity for a travel drive; very compact and light; bus powered; good bundled backup software; cool and quiet in operation; three-year warranty; two free gigabytes of online storage.

THE BAD

No FireWire; doesn't ship with power cord.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The SimpleTech Signature Mini Black Cherry is a compact, USB-only external hard drive that will tempt you with its sleek design, and then win you over with its capacity, performance, and price.

REVIEWED: 20-May-2008 02:29 PM PDT
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SimpleTech Signature Mini (120GB, black)

EDITORS RATING
8.1
SPECS

120 GB, Hi-Speed USB, 2.5", 5400 rpm

THE GOOD

Large capacity for a travel drive; very compact and light; bus powered; good bundled backup software; cool and quiet in operation; three-year warranty; two free gigabytes of online storage.

THE BAD

No FireWire; doesn't ship with power cord.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The SimpleTech Signature Mini Black Cherry is a compact, USB-only external hard drive that will tempt you with its sleek design, and then win you over with its capacity, performance, and price.

REVIEWED: 20-May-2008 02:29 PM PDT
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SimpleTech Signature Mini (160GB, blue)

EDITORS RATING
8.1
SPECS

160 GB, Hi-Speed USB, 2.5", 8 MB, 5400 rpm

THE GOOD

Large capacity for a travel drive; very compact and light; bus powered; good bundled backup software; cool and quiet in operation; three-year warranty; two free gigabytes of online storage.

THE BAD

No FireWire; doesn't ship with power cord.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The SimpleTech Signature Mini Black Cherry is a compact, USB-only external hard drive that will tempt you with its sleek design, and then win you over with its capacity, performance, and price.

REVIEWED: 20-May-2008 02:29 PM PDT
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SimpleTech Signature Mini (320GB, red)

EDITORS RATING
8.1
SPECS

320 GB, Hi-Speed USB, 2.5", 8 MB, 5400 rpm

THE GOOD

Large capacity for a travel drive; very compact and light; bus powered; good bundled backup software; cool and quiet in operation; three-year warranty; two free gigabytes of online storage.

THE BAD

No FireWire; doesn't ship with power cord.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The SimpleTech Signature Mini Black Cherry is a compact, USB-only external hard drive that will tempt you with its sleek design, and then win you over with its capacity, performance, and price.

REVIEWED: 20-May-2008 02:29 PM PDT
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SimpleTech Signature Mini (250GB, pink)

EDITORS RATING
8.1
SPECS

250 GB, Hi-Speed USB, 2.5", 8 MB, 5400 rpm

THE GOOD

Large capacity for a travel drive; very compact and light; bus powered; good bundled backup software; cool and quiet in operation; three-year warranty; two free gigabytes of online storage.

THE BAD

No FireWire; doesn't ship with power cord.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The SimpleTech Signature Mini Black Cherry is a compact, USB-only external hard drive that will tempt you with its sleek design, and then win you over with its capacity, performance, and price.

REVIEWED: 20-May-2008 02:29 PM PDT
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SimpleTech Signature Mini (250GB, light blue)

EDITORS RATING
8.1
SPECS

250 GB, Hi-Speed USB, 2.5", 8 MB, 5400 rpm

THE GOOD

Large capacity for a travel drive; very compact and light; bus powered; good bundled backup software; cool and quiet in operation; three-year warranty; two free gigabytes of online storage.

THE BAD

No FireWire; doesn't ship with power cord.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The SimpleTech Signature Mini Black Cherry is a compact, USB-only external hard drive that will tempt you with its sleek design, and then win you over with its capacity, performance, and price.

REVIEWED: 20-May-2008 02:29 PM PDT
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SimpleTech Signature Mini (250GB, green)

EDITORS RATING
8.1
SPECS

250 GB, Hi-Speed USB, 2.5", 8 MB, 5400 rpm

THE GOOD

Large capacity for a travel drive; very compact and light; bus powered; good bundled backup software; cool and quiet in operation; three-year warranty; two free gigabytes of online storage.

THE BAD

No FireWire; doesn't ship with power cord.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The SimpleTech Signature Mini Black Cherry is a compact, USB-only external hard drive that will tempt you with its sleek design, and then win you over with its capacity, performance, and price.

REVIEWED: 20-May-2008 02:29 PM PDT
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Iomega eGo Camo portable hard drive (250GB, camo)

EDITORS RATING
8.0
SPECS

250 GB, Hi-Speed USB

THE GOOD

Durable, ruggedized exterior can take a five foot drop; fast transfer speeds; large capacity for affordable price.

THE BAD

Lacks FireWire port, power cord not included.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The eGo Camo portable hard drive is Iomega's first attempt at a "ruggedized" drive--it can withstand a beating thanks to its Power Grip band. Despite it lacking a few accessories, you'll be satisfied with its competitive price and quick transfer speeds.

REVIEWED: 11-Jul-2008 10:27 AM PDT
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Iomega eGo Portable Hard Drive (250GB, Brown)

EDITORS RATING
7.8
SPECS

250 GB, Hi-Speed USB

THE GOOD

High quality; fashionable leather exterior; survived four-feet drop test; auxiliary power options, excellent cost-per-gigabyte value.

THE BAD

Average read and write speeds; lacks FireWire port; flasklike design might not appeal to some.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Iomega eGo Brown leather portable hard drive is a fashionable alternative to other boring HDs, and it gives you a healthy amount of space for a low price, but don't expect lightning fast transfer speeds.

REVIEWED: 02-Jul-2008 10:57 AM PDT
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OWC Mercury On-The-Go (500GB)

EDITORS RATING
7.8
SPECS
THE GOOD

Large capacity, USB 2.0, FireWire 400, and FireWire 800 support; bus powered; valuable bundled backup software; all data cables included.

THE BAD

A bit bulkier and heavier than competing compact external hard drives. Power switch is hard to reach.

THE BOTTOM LINE

It's big, and it's fast. The OWC Mercury On-The-Go offers fast throughput via USB 2.0, FireWire 400, and FireWire 800, and it's the biggest compact hard drive, at 500GB, you can get right now.

REVIEWED: 13-May-2008 12:01 PM PDT
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HP Media Vault MV2120 (500GB)

EDITORS RATING
7.0
SPECS

HP Media Vault Mv2120 - Network drive, 500 GB, PC, 4 pin USB Type A, RJ-45, Removable, Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet

THE GOOD

Very easy to set up with an intuitive Web interface and convenient desktop application; ships with 500GB hard drive and a free bay for the addition of a second drive; USB ports for additional storage; supports RAID 1; includes an iTunes server and Web access for photos.

THE BAD

Does not support writing to external drives formatted in NTFS; installs programs that start automatically and doesn't provide a method to disable them; rigid RAID setup; no print-serving capability; flimsy drive tray.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The HP Media Vault MV2120 is a two-bay NAS drive that novice networkers will find simple to set up and use. While it offers flexible expansion options with a free internal drive bay and two USB ports, the intrusive Media Vault software and lack of a print server dampen our enthusiasm a bit.

REVIEWED: 27-Jun-2008 10:12 AM PDT
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Buffalo LinkStation Mini (500GB)

EDITORS RATING
7.0
SPECS

Buffalo LinkStation Mini LS-WS500GL/R1 - NAS server, 500 GB, PC, Mac, RJ-45, 4 pin USB Type A, Standard, Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet

THE GOOD

Small footprint and near silent operation; dual drives offer data redundancy; USB port allows for easy expansion or print sharing; DLNA support for streaming media files over your network.

THE BAD

Pricey per gigabyte; remote access feature took some work to enable.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The tiniest of NAS drives, the Buffalo LinkStation Mini keeps up with its full-size competition in terms of both features and performance. However, you'll pay a premium price for this small, silent networked drive.

REVIEWED: 25-Jun-2008 03:07 PM PDT
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Buffalo LinkStation Mini (1TB)

EDITORS RATING
7.0
SPECS

Buffalo LinkStation Mini LS-WS1.0TGL/R1 - NAS server, 1 TB, PC, Mac, RJ-45, 4 pin USB Type A, Standard, Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet

THE GOOD

Small footprint and near silent operation; dual drives offer data redundancy; USB port allows for easy expansion or print sharing; DLNA support for streaming media files over your network.

THE BAD

Pricey per gigabyte; remote access feature took some work to enable.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The tiniest of NAS drives, the Buffalo LinkStation Mini keeps up with its full-size competition in terms of both features and performance. However, you'll pay a premium price for this small, silent networked drive.

REVIEWED: 25-Jun-2008 03:07 PM PDT
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G-Tech G-Drive mini Triple (250GB)

EDITORS RATING
6.7
SPECS

250 GB, IEEE 1394b (FireWire 800) / IEEE1394 (FireWire) / Hi-Speed USB, 5400 rpm

THE GOOD

Fast FireWire 800 throughput; FireWire interface is bus-powered; OS X-ready, cool and quiet during operation, three-year warranty.

THE BAD

High cost per GB; subpar FireWire 400 throughput speed; not Windows XP-friendly, USB 2.0 requires separate power adapter purchase.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Unless you are using a Mac with a FireWire 800 port, G-Tech's G-Drive mini Triple portable hard drive holds little appeal.

REVIEWED: 04-Jun-2008 10:04 AM PDT
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G-Tech G-Drive mini Triple (200GB, 5400rpm)

EDITORS RATING
6.7
SPECS

200 GB, IEEE 1394b (FireWire 800) / IEEE1394 (FireWire) / Hi-Speed USB, 7200 rpm

THE GOOD

Fast FireWire 800 throughput; FireWire interface is bus-powered; OS X-ready, cool and quiet during operation, three-year warranty.

THE BAD

High cost per GB; subpar FireWire 400 throughput speed; not Windows XP-friendly, USB 2.0 requires separate power adapter purchase.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Unless you are using a Mac with a FireWire 800 port, G-Tech's G-Drive mini Triple portable hard drive holds little appeal.

REVIEWED: 04-Jun-2008 10:04 AM PDT
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G-Tech G-Drive mini Triple (200GB, 7200rpm)

EDITORS RATING
6.7
SPECS

200 GB, IEEE 1394b (FireWire 800) / IEEE1394 (FireWire) / Hi-Speed USB, 5400 rpm

THE GOOD

Fast FireWire 800 throughput; FireWire interface is bus-powered; OS X-ready, cool and quiet during operation, three-year warranty.

THE BAD

High cost per GB; subpar FireWire 400 throughput speed; not Windows XP-friendly, USB 2.0 requires separate power adapter purchase.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Unless you are using a Mac with a FireWire 800 port, G-Tech's G-Drive mini Triple portable hard drive holds little appeal.

REVIEWED: 04-Jun-2008 10:04 AM PDT
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G-Tech G-Drive mini Triple (160GB)

EDITORS RATING
6.7
SPECS

160 GB, IEEE 1394b (FireWire 800) / IEEE1394 (FireWire) / Hi-Speed USB, 5400 rpm

THE GOOD

Fast FireWire 800 throughput; FireWire interface is bus-powered; OS X-ready, cool and quiet during operation, three-year warranty.

THE BAD

High cost per GB; subpar FireWire 400 throughput speed; not Windows XP-friendly, USB 2.0 requires separate power adapter purchase.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Unless you are using a Mac with a FireWire 800 port, G-Tech's G-Drive mini Triple portable hard drive holds little appeal.

REVIEWED: 04-Jun-2008 10:04 AM PDT
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LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini - Home Edition (500GB)

EDITORS RATING
6.7
SPECS

LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini - Home Edition - NAS server, 500 GB, PC, Mac, 4 pin USB Type A, RJ-45, Standard, Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet

THE GOOD

Network-attached drive with 500GB of storage; can serve up media to iTunes and uPNP-capable devices; easy to share files with friends and family; rugged design.

THE BAD

Remote access is slow and unreliable; drive can be noisy during use; browser-based interface has its quirks.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini - Home Edition is a solid mediacentric network-attached storage drive with an easy-to-use Web interface, but don't expect glitch-free access outside your home network.

REVIEWED: 15-Apr-2008 02:43 PM PDT
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Toshiba USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive

EDITORS RATING
6.3
SPECS

320 GB, Hi-Speed USB, 2.5"

THE GOOD

Large capacity for a travel drive; very compact and light; USB 2.0 powered; ships with backup software; cool and quiet.

THE BAD

No FireWire; very slow write speeds.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Toshiba USB 2.0 Portable Hard Drive is an attractive, lightweight drive with a decent price point for a drive of this capacity. Its size makes it great for travel, but the write speeds aren't up to par with other drives we've seen. We can't recommend it due to its lack of performance.

REVIEWED: 07-Jul-2008 12:28 PM PDT
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Maxtor Black Armor

EDITORS RATING
6.0
SPECS
THE GOOD

Hardware encrypted storage protection, convenient host and traveler modes.

THE BAD

Expensive; sluggish transfer speeds; lacks FireWire; boring design.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The impenetrable Maxtor Black Armor is the Fort Knox of external hard drives, but the added security comes at a hefty price tag. This device might appeal to those who need the most protection possible, but the competition offers more space for less money.

REVIEWED: 18-Jun-2008 02:39 PM PDT
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Vox BlackBox (1TB)

EDITORS RATING
5.4
SPECS

VOX BlackBox Hard drive array, PC, Mac, Unix, 4 pin USB Type B, RJ-45, Hot-swap

THE GOOD

It has 1TB of storage; it is affordable; easily accessible hard-drive bays; USB ports for additional storage; supports RAID 0 and RAID 1; includes iTunes server; sturdy build.

THE BAD

Noisy; confusing setup software and Web interface; does not support writing on external drives formatted in NTFS; rigid and rudimentary user account and file-sharing management; no print-serving capability; high latency.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Vox BlackBox is a 1TB NAS drive that serves up a lot of storage but not many features for a good price. Though you may be tempted by its low cost per gigabyte, be warned it's noisy and plagued by brutally bad software.

REVIEWED: 11-Jul-2008 12:11 PM PDT
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