Hard Drives Accessories

Hitachi SimpleTough

The SimpleTough is the sturdiest ruggedised external hard drive we've tested so far, capable of withstanding drops of up to 3m and up to a tonne of pressure. It also has a built-in USB cable and software that lets you back up your data to Hitachi's servers. If you're clumsy, you should check it out

Editor's rating 7.5

Seagate Replica

Available in 250GB and 500GB versions, the Replica external USB hard drive is the very definition of bother-free back-up. It doesn't offer enough flexibility or storage capacity to satisfy everyone, but, for those of a non-technical bent who don't have a huge collection of data, it's well worth a look

Editor's rating 7.2

Iomega Home Media Network Hard Drive

Although it lacks many of the advanced features you get with other NAS servers, the sleek and compact Home Media Network Hard Drive is the easiest-to-use device of its type that we've seen so far. Excellent performance and support for USB hard drives and printers add to its merits

Editor's rating 7.1

Fujitsu HandyDrive

The HandyDrive external hard drive is as basic as they come -- it isn't fantastically beautiful or stuffed with high-end features -- but it delivers where it matters most, offering speedy data-transfer times. Add in the fact that it's inexpensive, and the result is an impressive piece of kit

Editor's rating 8.3

Iomega eGo Leather Portable Hard Drive

The 250GB Iomega eGo Leather Portable Hard Drive is a worthwhile alternative to the plethora of more mundane-looking devices on the market. Although its read and write times aren't anything to shout about, it looks great and you can drop it repeatedly without worrying that it'll stop working

Editor's rating 7.6

Seagate FreeAgent Go

The FreeAgent Go is part of Seagate's latest new line of portable hard drives and is by far the thinnest we've tested, and it still maintains a reasonably fast transfer rate. It's available in a variety of capacities, from 250 to 500GB, and in a variety of colours, too: silver, black, blue or red

Editor's rating 8.5

Seagate FreeAgent Xtreme

Unless you consider three interface options to be especially intense, there's nothing particularly extreme about the Seagate FreeAgent Xtreme hard drive, but we still found plenty to like about this external drive -- particularly its simple and functional design, fast performance and value for money

Editor's rating 7.3

Data Robotics Drobo

The Data Robotics Drobo may not be C-3PO, but it can automate most aspects of data storage. This toaster-esque machine can serve as a giant dumping ground for your data, with up to four separate 3.5-inch SATA hard drives to increase space when you wish

User rating 4.0

Editor's rating 8.0

Apple Time Capsule

Apple's Time Capsule promises Mac and PC data backup over a wireless network. Essentially an AirPort Extreme Base Station with a 500GB or 1TB hard drive built in, Time Capsule is the only device out there that combines an 802.11n wireless access point and basic network-attached storage

Editor's rating 6.9

HP Media Smart Server

The HP Media Smart Server is a great way to make your data accessible to your friends and family -- even yourself -- regardless of location. For anyone with an abundance of media files, this is a surprisingly easy way to share them across multiple computers

User rating 9.0

Editor's rating 8.0

Buffalo DriveStation Duo

The Buffalo DriveStation Duo is smarter than your average 500GB external hard drive -- it can be used as one big drive, two independent disks, or in a RAID array, which lets it perform automatic data backups of itself. Perfect for the paranoid data hoarder

Editor's rating 7.6

LaCie d2 Quadra Hard Drive (500GB)

A compact 500GB drive, LaCie's new d2 Quadra is designed for people who need high data-transfer speeds over an eSATA connection or FireWire 800. It's a speedy performer, but you pay a premium for the connectivity

Editor's rating 7.5

LaCie Brick Desktop Hard Drive (250GB)

The LaCie Brick makes for a practical and inexpensive, uniquely designed desktop drive that should suit the needs of almost any consumer in the storage market. It's doesn't hang around with transfer speeds either, and if you throw on some blue and white Bricks, you've got yourself a storage Lego fortress to be reckoned with

Editor's rating 7.8

Iomega StorCenter Wireless NAS 1TB

Its various RAID-array options, backup software, printer and media servers, and speedy performance make the StorCenter Wireless NAS a great choice for home storage and backup. You are limited, however, to 1 terabyte of disk space -- perhaps not such a hardship

Editor's rating 7.3

LaCie Rugged All-Terrain Hard Drive (80GB)

The LaCie Rugged All-Terrain external hard drive is housed in a very eye-catching bright orange rubber bumper that protects the device from shocks. Some versions offer FireWire 400 and 800 connectivity for impressively fast transfer speeds, and it's very quiet

Editor's rating 8.3

Buffalo LinkStation Pro

Buffalo's LinkStation Pro is a network-attached storage device with a built-in 250GB hard drive, meaning it can be used by more than one PC on a network. It's a worthy purchase, but only for those who are willing to take advantage of its advanced features -- if you're simply looking for an external storage device you should opt for a basic USB hard drive

User rating 2.7

Editor's rating 8.1

LaCie Safe Mobile Hard Drive (80GB)

LaCie Safe Mobile Hard Drive combines freedom and security with an embedded fingerprint scanner that keeps unauthorised users away from up to 80GB of your sensitive data. It's also fast, small and lightweight, and it won't break the bank

Editor's rating 7.3

Western Digital Passport portable drive (80GB)

The Western Digital Passport portable USB 2.0 drive -- available in 40GB, 60GB, and 80GB capacities -- is a worthy addition to your travel bag, offering a compact design, fast performance and ample storage space for a low price. We recommend it to anyone who needs affordable storage on the go

Editor's rating 7.0