Buying Guide: Best 1TB external hard drive: 10 drives tested

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20247/PCF247.w_roundup.Img392-main-200-200.jpg"><br /><P>These days, you can never have too much storage space. However much you have, you're bound to fill it sooner than you think. But what do you do if you want more?</P><br /><P>Internal drives are all very well, but your PC doesn't have an infinite number of drive bays, and what if you want to transport your digital data as well as access it from your own PC? </P><br /><P>For this test then, we're comparing external desktop hard drives that have a 1TB capacity. </P><br /><P>A desktop drive is based on the 3.5-inch hard drive and is plugged into the mains, as opposed to portable external drives, which use smaller 2.5-inch HDDs and draw their power from their data connection cable, normally powered USB. </P><br /><P>The main advantage offered by desktop drives over their portable counterparts is price. They can, of course, be unplugged and carried away should you wish to (for example) take data between work and home, but if your drive is likely to spend as much time in your bag as it does on your desk, a portable unit may prove a better option. </P><br /><P>So you can compare like with like, we've benchmarked the drives by average random read/write speeds in MB/s under the ubiquitous USB 2.0 connectivity, though most drives offer faster methods, such as eSATA. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Hard drives on test</STRONG></P><br /><P>LaCie Starck 1TB - £89 <BR>Iomega Minimax 1TB - £116 <BR>Freecom Hard Drive XS 3.0 1TB - £91<BR>G-Technology G-Raid 1TB - £156 <BR>Iomega Ego Desktop Hard Drive 1TB - £115 <BR>G-Technology G-Drive 1TB - £155 <BR>Hitachi LifeStudio 1TB Desk Plus - £95 <BR>Buffalo DriveStation 1TB - £74 <BR>Freecom Hard Drive Quattro 1TB - £116 <BR>LaCie D2 Quadra - £131 </P><br /><P><STRONG>Iomega Minimax 1TB</STRONG><BR>Web: <a href="http://go.iomega.com/en/?partner=4735">www.iomega.com </A></P><br /><P><img alt="Iomega minimax 1tb" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20247/PCF247.w_roundup.roundup3_1-minimax-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P>This almost-square hard drive is clearly designed to sit under small-form factor machines. Of course, that also means it's fairly convenient to slip into your bag and carry from computer to computer. </P><br /><P>Not as convenient as a portable drive, of course. It's bigger, and you need to carry the MiniMax's power supply as well as the drive. But if your need an external hard drive that will spend most of its life on your desk, but take the occasional trip to the office or your friend's house, this drive is well worth considering. </P><br /><P>The MiniMax is very sturdy, and its large rubber base stops it sliding about on your desk. Its brushed aluminium sides and white top look great next to most PCs (small-form factor or otherwise), and its transfer speeds are very respectable.</P><br /><P>Perhaps most interestingly of all, as well as a USB 2.0 and twin FireWire 800 ports (a cable for FW400 connections is supplied), there's also a three-port USB hub for connecting further peripherals. Just the thing if you want a USB hard drive, but are running out of ports. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Verdict: 89%</STRONG> </P><br /><P><STRONG>LaCie Starck 1TB</STRONG><BR>Web: <a href="http://www.lacie.com/uk/">www.lacie.com/uk </A></P><br /><P><img alt="Lacie starck 1tb" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20247/PCF247.w_roundup.roundup3_1-starck-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P>If you're looking for an external hard drive that looks great next to almost any PC, you could do a lot worse than check out this one. </P><br /><P>Designed by top industrial designer Philippe Starck, its sturdy aluminium casing and shiny, molten metal front look absolutely gorgeous. Starck's signature cross sign is projected onto the desktop as a drive status LED too, which is a nice touch. </P><br /><P>The molten front panel is touch-sensitive, functioning as a shortcut button that can be set up to launch an application, open a file or mount and unmount the drive. Unfortunately, the configuration software that controls this function is a little flaky. </P><br /><P>The Starck isn't LaCie's most versatile external desktop hard drive. It's USB 2.0-only, though it gave us reasonable speeds in our benchmarking tests. For even faster speeds, you can download a turbo driver, to boost USB speeds by up to 33 per cent. </P><br /><P>Also bundled is 10GB of Wuala online storage, which is free for a year, and LaCie Genie Backup Assistant for an easy way to back up your files. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Verdict: 83%</STRONG></P><br /><P><STRONG>G-Technology G-Raid 1TB </STRONG><BR>Web: <a href="http://www.g-technology.com/">www.g-technology.com </A></P><br /><P><img alt="G-raid" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20247/PCF247.w_roundup.Img39240_1-gtech.gdrive-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P>This attractive, sturdy device holds two 500GB drives arranged in a hardware RAID 0 array for additional speed. </P><br /><P>It offers USB 2.0 connectivity, twin FireWire 800 ports with a FireWire 800-to-400 cable for connection to a FireWire 400 port.For the fastest possible connection, there's also eSATA. </P><br /><P>An Oxford 936 chipset is used for its out-of-the box hardware RAID 0 array. You can switch to a RAID 1 mirrored array, which copies your data to both of the drive's two discs, halving the unit's overall storage capacity but protecting your data against drive failure.</P><br /><P>G-Technology doesn't exactly go out of its way to show you how to do this, though. You have to download an application called 'G-Tech Configurator' from the support section of its website, or search the bundled CD where it's only found under G-RAID Mini, a different product.</P><br /><P>Unlike its stable mate, the similarly-styled G-DRIVE, the G-RAID uses a fan-based cooling system. Thankfully, it's based on a thermo-regulated smart fan that only kicks in when the temperature rises, and is pretty quiet in operation even when it's running.</P><br /><P>It's also worth mentioning that the 4TB version of this external hard drive isn't compatible with Windows XP. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Verdict: 86%</STRONG></P><br /><P><STRONG>Freecom Hard Drive XS 3.0 1TB</STRONG><BR>Web <a href="http://www.freecom.com/default2.asp">www.freecom.com</A> </P><br /><P><img alt="Freecom hard drive xs 1tb" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20247/PCF247.w_roundup.Img39240_1-freecom-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P>Freecom's Hard Drive XS 3.0 is USB-only. As you'd expect from the name, it's compatible with the new USB 3.0 standard, which is up to ten times faster than USB 2.0 and fully backwards-compatible. </P><br /><P>Although a desktop design (it's based on a 3.5-inch SATA drive format and plugs into the mains), it's clearly built with portability in mind. </P><br /><P>Described as 'the world's smallest 3.5-inch external drive', the unit as a whole is barely larger than the drive it holds. It's also wrapped in a rubber sleeve to reduce vibrations and protect against minor knocks. This rubberised finish and its fanless construction make the Hard Drive XS 3.0 almost silent in operation. </P><br /><P>Even when using a slower USB 2.0 connection, the XS 3.0 is pretty speedy. It's reasonably light at 862g too, and its power supply is a modest, pocket-sized affair. There's no enormous brick-like transformer to lug around. </P><br /><P>Given its clear advantages as a semi-portable drive, we can't think why Freecom didn't bundle a carry case. It would've rounded off a very useful and keenly-priced package. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Verdict: 85%</STRONG></P><br /><P><STRONG>G-Technology G-Drive 1TB</STRONG><BR>Web: <a href="http://www.g-technology.com/">www.g-technology.com</A></P><br /><P><img alt="Gtech g-drive" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20247/PCF247.w_roundup.Img392-gtech.graid-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P>This beautifully realised aluminium design from Hitachi subsidiary G-Technology is clearly conceived with the Mac user in mind, but it looks just as at home next to a brushed metal PC tower. </P><br /><P>As well as USB 2.0, G-DRIVE offers eSATA for ultra-fast connection with compatible machines, and twin FireWire 800 ports. A FireWire 800-to-400 cable is bundled, so you can connect using the slower FireWire 400 standard if you've no spare FW800 port. </P><br /><P>Like many of the drives on test here, the G-DRIVE offers a fanless cooling system. Instead, there's an aluminium heatsink between its supports that silently dissipates heat. At just under five centimetres tall it's got a very low profile, but it's certainly not designed to be vertically mounted. </P><br /><P>It performed admirably in our speed tests, being one of the faster drives in our base-line USB 2.0 test, and at the front of the pack using FireWire. </P><br /><P>The G-DRIVE isn't exactly awash with bundled software, though we wonder how many people actually use applications they get bundled with storage solutions. Despite its triple-interface connectivity options we feel it's a little expensive too, though the quality is very high. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Verdict: 88%</STRONG></P><br /><P><STRONG>Iomega Ego Desktop Hard Drive 1TB</STRONG><BR>Web: <a href="http://go.iomega.com/en/?partner=4735">www.iomega.com </A></P><br /><P><img alt="Iomega ego" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20247/PCF247.w_roundup.Img39240_1-iomega.ego-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P>Iomega's popular eGo Desktop Hard Drive range comes in various fl avours. The silver model we're looking at here offers FireWire 400/800 and USB 2.0 connectivity and is Mac-formatted out of the box, but can easily be reconfigured for Windows.</P><br /><P>Other variations of the drive include a jet black or midnight blue USB 2.0-only drive, or a charcoal enclosure offering USB 3.0 connectivity. </P><br /><P>The eGo Desktop range boasts plastic enclosures, but they look as smart and attractive as any metal casing. They can be mounted vertically using the supplied stand, or horizontally. </P><br /><P>You get two free software applications with the drive, though you have to download them – they're not on the hard drive itself or on a bundled CD. </P><br /><P>Iomega QuikProtect lets you back up your data to an external or networked drive, according to a schedule or whenever a fi le changes. MozyHome Online backup service lets you back up your data to a cloud server. You get 2GB free with the drive, or you can sign up for MozyPro and buy more storage space for a monthly fee. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Verdict: 85%</STRONG></P><br /><P><STRONG>Buffalo DriveStation 1TB</STRONG><BR>Web: <a href="http://www.buffalo-technology.com/">www.buffalo-technology.com </A></P><br /><P><img alt="Buffalo" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20247/PCF247.w_roundup.roundup2_1-buffalo-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P>This cost-effective drive from Buffalo is USB 2.0-only, but its transfer speeds can be enhanced using the bundled TurboUSB driver. </P><br /><P>Windows users can enjoy full disk AES256-bit hardware encryption to keep your data safe and secure, encrypting all data as soon as it's written to the drive, and protecting it with a password. </P><br /><P>SecureLockManager Easy remembers your credentials and makes logging-on a simple task when using Full Automatic Encryption, and there's a power saving mode that automatically switches off the drive when you shut down your PC. </P><br /><P>Also included is Memeo AutoSync backup software and Google's Picasa software for photo and movie organising. </P><br /><P>The DriveStation's shiny black plastic casing is fairly attractive, especially next to a glossy black tower system, but it picks up fingerprints faster than the CSI team. Thankfully, being a desktop drive, you won't have to pick it up often. </P><br /><P>It's not the fastest of the drives on test here, but it's not the slowest either and its TurboUSB driver makes it a wise choice if you only plan to use USB 2.0 connectivity. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Verdict: 80%</STRONG></P><br /><P><STRONG>Hitachi LifeStudio 1TB Desk Plus</STRONG><BR>Web: <a href="http://www.lifestudio.com/">www.lifestudio.com </A></P><br /><P><img alt="Hitachi" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20247/PCF247.w_roundup.roundup2_1-hitachi-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P>If you're looking for a big, dumb hard drive for data storage, look elsewhere. Hitachi's LifeStudio range, available in mobile and desktop form factors, is aptly described as 'the hard drive redefined'. It's far more than a bare storage device. </P><br /><P>Its bundled management suite lets you find, organise and share digital content located on both your PC and your LifeStudio drive, view photos you've uploaded to social networking sites, access online content such as games, news, music and videos and auto-sync with the removable USB key mounted on the front of the drive. </P><br /><P>This removable storage device uses a MicroSD card, which can easily be removed and replaced if you want to upgrade. It's all accessed through a gorgeous 3D browser too.</P><br /><P>The LifeStudio Desk Plus isn't the fastest of drives, and it's USB 2.0 only, with no support for faster connectivity methods. </P><br /><P>With its blue and black plastic finish it looks pretty good on your desktop, but the removable USB flash drive means you can't tuck it away out of sight and out of reach. </P><br /><P>If you're only looking for a storage device, this isn't the drive for you, but if its lifestyle and management features appeal, it's excellent value for money. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Verdict: 90%</STRONG></P><br /><P><STRONG>LaCie D2 Quadra 1TB</STRONG><BR>Web: <a href="http://www.lacie.com/uk/">www.lacie.com/uk </A></P><br /><P><img alt="Lacie d2" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20247/PCF247.w_roundup.roundup2_1-lacie.d2-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P>This Neil Poulton-designed external hard drive is extremely versatile. It has four connectivity options (as suggested in the name); USB 2.0, twin FireWire 800 ports, a single FireWire 400 port and eSATA. </P><br /><P>It can be vertically mounted using the supplied aluminium stand or used in a horizontal position, and up to four d2 Quadras can be installed together in a convenient desk rack (sold separately). </P><br /><P>The D2 Quadra's casing is made from sturdy aluminium, and its ribbed surface provides a handy heat sink, which LaCie claims offers up to 60 per cent more surface area for heat dissipation compared to a more conventional, flat-sided external drive. </P><br /><P>The drive light on the front of the unit also functions as a shortcut button. Using the supplied software (which is a little buggy – we hope a revision is in the pipeline), you can configure it to back up your data or launch a file or application of your choice.</P><br /><P>Its speeds are very agreeable, it can be set to power down when you switch off your computer and there's bundled software too. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Verdict: 91%</STRONG></P><br /><P><STRONG>Freecom Hard Drive Quattro 1TB</STRONG><BR>Web: <a href="http://www.freecom.com/default2.asp">www.freecom.com </A></P><br /><P><img alt="Freecom quattro" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20247/PCF247.w_roundup.roundup2_1-freecom.quad-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P>This sturdy quadruple-interface drive is clearly built for function rather than aesthetics. While far from ugly, its uncompromising box-like form factor and no-frills design make no attempt to be decorative. </P><br /><P>Build quality is superb, with a robust brushed aluminium casing and a rugged plastic facing. If you need a drive that can take the knocks, the Freecom Quattro is well worth considering. The Quattro's fanless design means it runs almost silently, making it ideal for desktop use, and it can be mounted horizontally, or vertically using the bundled rubber stands. </P><br /><P>As well as the ubiquitous USB 2.0 port, the Quattro also boasts eSATA, twin FireWire 800 ports and even a FireWire 400 port, which is unusual. Most drives that offer FireWire 400/800 connectivity usually omit the FireWire 400 port, but instead bundle a cable that lets you connect a FW800 outlet to your system's FW400 port. </P><br /><P>Although far from poor, the Freecom Quattro's transfer speeds were nothing special, putting in a mediocre performance under USB 2.0 and lagging behind some of the other FireWire-compatible drives when using FW800. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Verdict: 78&</STRONG></P>

Buying Guide: Best 1TB external hard drive: 10 drives tested

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Hyundai shows off Equus iPad owners manual, available for test drives in the App Store (video)

<DIV class=separator style="CLEAR: both; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaT8l_dggJDOGuaQbmhv2XQcNeU2__Xsn55Z8Tk7J2TUUB77Z6YHZ3Z_jMYpU-Qx3YaPJijNLPI7j1FKk3ju5s5y_FHg1PuY2L4AWR_ofcSfSjw8F-TECiFvOgpPlu6SbINZROmOY4EvQ/s1600/equus-2010-12-17-600.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 1em; MARGIN-RIGHT: 1em"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaT8l_dggJDOGuaQbmhv2XQcNeU2__Xsn55Z8Tk7J2TUUB77Z6YHZ3Z_jMYpU-Qx3YaPJijNLPI7j1FKk3ju5s5y_FHg1PuY2L4AWR_ofcSfSjw8F-TECiFvOgpPlu6SbINZROmOY4EvQ/s1600/equus-2010-12-17-600.jpg.jpg"></A></DIV>Yeah, we know, you're still having a hard time thinking of Hyundai as a luxury car brand. Get with the times, man. The Equus ("echoos") is legitimately high-end, and not just because each and every one comes with a 16GB WiFi iPad pre-loaded with the car's owners manual. Naturally this isn't just a boring stack of info that you'll only pull out to look up tire pressures and engine oil capacity -- oh no. This is a properly interactive experience showing you how the directional headlights work, providing videos of various interior configurations (including the reclining "First Class" rear seats with legrests), and even offering what looks to be something of a driving game. Sure, it's no Real Racing</EM>, but it is free, and you can check it out in the App Store now. Or, you can just live vicariously through the video below.

Hyundai shows off Equus iPad owners manual, available for test drives in the App Store (video)

Yeah, we know, you're still having a hard time thinking of Hyundai as a luxury car brand. Get with the times, man. The Equus ("echo...

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Buying Guide: 6 of the best 1TB external hard drives for your Mac

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/MacFormat/MAC%20227/MAC227.group.opener1_1-200-200.jpg" /> <br /> Upgrading your Mac's internal hard drive can be a tricky task. It's simple enough if you own a Mac Pro, and the drives in the current MacBook range are designed to be user-accessible. <br /> But if you're running an iMac or a Mac mini, replacing the HDD is a task for the professionals. <br /> Plugging in an external drive is far more convenient and gives you an extra drive rather than a replacement one. But with so many on offer, which do you choose? <br /> For this group test, we're looking at mains-powered desktop devices, based on 3.5-inch form factor hard drives. To make sure we're comparing like with like, they're all 1TB, though most models are available in more than one capacity. <br /> The advantage of these drives is that their price-per-GB ratio is better than that offered by portable drives, which are smaller, use 2.5-inch HDDs and are powered through their USB or FireWire data connection. <br /> Of course, desktop drives are also less convenient to take from A to B. If your external drive seldom, if ever, leaves your computer, a desktop drive is for you. <br /> Macs recognise Windows formatted drives, and reformatting is a simple task anyway, so we've not taken out-of-the-box formatting into account when awarding marks. All drives were formatted to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for testing. <br /> <img alt="Freecom" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/MacFormat/MAC%20227/MAC227.group.cut2-420-90.jpg" width="420" /><br /> <b>External hard drives on test</b><br /> Buffalo DriveStation - £74 <br /> Freecom Hard Drive Quattro - £114 <br /> G-Technology G-Drive - £161 <br /> Hitachi LifeStudio Desk Plus - £88<br /> Iomega Ego Desktop Hard Drive Mac Edition - £115 <br /> Lacie Starck - £99 <br /> <b>Test one: Design quality</b><br /> <img alt="Lacie starck" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/MacFormat/MAC%20227/MAC227.group.cut3-420-90.jpg" width="420" /><br /> Full marks for the LaCie here. Designed by top industrial designer Philippe Starck, its sturdy aluminium casing and shiny, molten metal front look absolutely gorgeous. Starck's signature cross sign is projected onto the desktop as a drive status LED too, which is a nice touch. <br /> The G-DRIVE is designed to match the Mac Pro, but looks good next to any modern Mac. Build quality is excellent too, being sturdily crafted from brushed aluminium. <br /> The Quattro is equally sturdy, but is clearly built for function rather than aesthetics. It's not ugly, but it's just not all that eye-catching either. <br /> The Hitachi LifeStudio Desk Plus's plastic build is solid enough, but its form factor and detachable USB key means it demands accessible desk space, and cannot be tucked away out of sight. <br /> Buffalo's DriveStation also features a plastic casing. Its shiny surface is reasonably attractive, but it picks up fingerprints faster than the CSI team. <br /> <b>Test results </b><br /> <b><img alt="test 1" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/MacFormat/MAC%20227/test1-hdd-420-90.jpg" width="420" /></b><br /> <b>Test Two: Performance</b><br /> <img alt="Buffalo drivestation" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/MacFormat/MAC%20227/MAC227.group.cut5-420-90.jpg" width="420" /><br /> Of the six drives on offer, the Starck, LifeStudio and DriveStation are USB-only, but the DriveStation includes turbo drivers for increased speed. The others all offer FireWire 800 connectivity. <br /> Only the Quattro has a FireWire 400 port, but the eGo and G-DRIVE units bundle a FW400-800 cable so you can connect the drive to your Mac's FireWire 400 port. <br /> We tested each drive twice, using its fastest connection and bare-bones USB. As most modern Macs have FireWire and desktop drives are rarely carried around and shared with USB-only computers, the fastest test is the most important. <br /> And not surprisingly, quickest off the blocks is the Iomega eGo, closely followed by G-Tech's G-DRIVE, both under FireWire 800. Freecom's Quattro also has FireWire 800, but is a little slow compared to the fastest two. Buffalo's USB 2.0 connectivity is significantly boosted by a bundled turbo driver – a great touch for the cheapest drive on offer. <br /> <b>Test results </b><br /> <b><img alt="test 2" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/MacFormat/MAC%20227/test2-hdd-420-90.jpg" width="420" /></b><br /> <b>Test Three: Features </b><br /> <img alt="Hitachi" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/MacFormat/MAC%20227/MAC227.group.cut6_1-420-90.jpg" width="420" /><br /> Hitachi describes its LifeStudio as 'the hard drive redefined'. It's far more than a bare storage device. <br /> Its bundled management suite lets you find, organise and share digital content, view your photos on social networking sites, access online content such as games, news, music and videos, and autosync with the removable USB key mounted on the front of the drive. It's probably not the best choice if you only want data storage, though. Check out everything it can do at <a href="http://www.lifestudio.com/">www.lifestudio.com</a>. <br /> LaCie's Starck has a touch-sensitive section used to launch applications, open files, mount and unmount the drive and more. But the software used to configure it is very flaky when running Snow Leopard. <br /> The Starck also gives 10GB of Wuala online storage for a year and a backup package. Iomega's eGo offers a good range of software, including a year's subscription to Trend Micro's Trend Smart Surfing and 2GB storage with MozyHome Online Backup. <br /> <b>Test results </b><br /> <b><img alt="test 3" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/MacFormat/MAC%20227/test3-hdd-420-90.jpg" width="420" /></b><br /> <b>Test Four: Value for money </b><br /> <img alt="G-Drive" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/MacFormat/MAC%20227/MAC227.group.cut4-420-90.jpg" width="420" /><br /> Most of the drives put in a solid rather than spectacular performance when assessed for value for money. The Hitachi LifeStudio Desk Plus is an exception. Given its feature set, its online price of under £90 is a bargain, though once again, not every Mac user wants its unique abilities. <br /> The eGo and Quattro drives are very good value for money given the range of connectivity options they offer, but the also-versatile G-DRIVE is a little expensive for a hard drive of 1TB capacity, despite its good looks and quality.<br /> Considering its pedigree, you'd expect the LaCie Starck to cost more, but it's actually pretty reasonable for such a uniquely fashioned device. It would certainly have scored higher had its support software not proved so unreliable under Snow Leopard.<br /> Buffalo's DriveStation is the cheapest drive on test here, but too many of its bundled features, such as encryption, are Windows-only. Its turbo driver is welcome, though. <br /> <b>Test results </b><br /> <b><img alt="Test 4" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/MacFormat/MAC%20227/Test4-hdd-420-90.jpg" width="420" /></b><br /> <b>The Winner: Iomega eGo Desktop Mac Edition </b><br /> <img alt="Iomega" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/MacFormat/MAC%20227/MAC227.group.cut1-420-90.jpg" width="420" /><br /> When adding an external HDD, most of us just want a big, dumb drive for data storage. Iomega's speedy eGo Desktop Hard Drive Mac Edition is ideal. It boasts FireWire 800 and USB 2.0 connectivity, with a bundled cable that lets you connect it to a FireWire 400 port if necessary. <br /> The bundled stand lets you position it on its side, and with its grey plastic finish and front grille, it looks right at home next to any aluminium-bodied Mac. <br /> Two drives make worthy runners-up. Hitachi's LifeStudio Desk Plus offers a great range of features, accessed via a neat 3D browser, but if all you want is storage, it isn't for you. <br /> The G-Technology G-DRIVE is ideal for Mac Pro owners who like matching peripherals, but it isn't cheap.

Buying Guide: 6 of the best 1TB external hard drives for your Mac

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Top Branded "Secure" USB Flash Drives Hacked

<br /> <p>January 05, 2010, Most major memory brands such as Sandisk, Kingston and Verbatim provide Secure Flash Drives in addition to their standard flash drive range on the market. Secure flash drives promise to keep your data secure from hackers, viruses, water, earthquakes and other natural disasters.</p><p>On January 05, 2010, a design flaw was reported, which would allow an attacker to gain access to secure flash drives manufactured by some of the big brand flash memory-makers. it was reported that it is possible to send a "unlock" flag to the devices which would trigger them to unlock via the computer without requiring the user-set password. German Pen-Test firm SySS GmbH published a paper highlighting the flaws.</p><p><strong>Affected Devices</strong><br /><br><strong>SanDisk</strong> Cruzer? Enterprise FIPS Edition with McAfee USB flash drive, CZ46 - 1GB, SanDisk Cruzer? Enterprise FIPS Edition USB flash drive, CZ32 - 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB<br /> <br /><strong>SanDisk</strong> Cruzer? Enterprise with McAfee USB flash drive, CZ38 - 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB<br /> <br /><strong>SanDisk</strong> Cruzer? Enterprise USB flash drive, CZ22 - 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB<br /> <br /><strong>Kingston</strong> DataTraveler BlackBox (DTBB)<br /> <br /><strong>Kingston</strong> DataTraveler Secure - Privacy Edition (DTSP)<br /> <br /><strong>Kingston</strong> DataTraveler Elite - Privacy Edition (DTEP)<br /> <br /><strong>Verbatim</strong> Corporate Secure FIPS Edition USB Flash Drives 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB<br /> <br /><strong>Verbatim</strong> Corporate Secure USB Flash Drive 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GBThe flaw is pretty straight-forward. When the drive is connected to the computer, software accompanied with the drive is run on the computer, which authenticates the password supplied and sends an "unlock" flag to the drive. When analyzed under a debugger, the code simply translates to a common "conditional jump", which can be patched to unlock the device.</p><p>Such implementations of security have been criticized by reserve-engineers around the world and certainly raise questions on the design process of the compromised flash drives.</p><p>Many "cracks" for software are based around the same technique of changing the logic of software during runtime, which is easily visible under a good debugger, say OllyDbg and Softice. The concerning fact for public and many users who have purchased these devices is that they had boasted as being certified to FIPS 140-2 Level 2 security validation from the US Government organization NIST ( <a href="http://www.nist.gov/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_new">National Institute of Standards and Technology</a> ).</p><p>SySS GmbH used OllyDgb to change a flag in the software accompanying the drives to gain access to the drive without knowing the original password. Of course this begs the question, how and why did NIST certify the affected products as secure flash drives when they had such inherent flaws in design.</p><p>NIST is of course upholding their position and said<br /><br><blockquote>"From our initial analysis, it appears that the software authorizing decryption, rather than the cryptographic module certified by NIST, is the source of this vulnerability"</blockquote>Yes of course.</p><p><blockquote>"Nevertheless, we are actively investigating whether any changes in the NIST certification process should be made in light of this issue."</blockquote>The NIST certification is concerned with the cryptographic modules which encipher and decipher the data held on the device. As security buffs will argue, if you put the most secure encryption module behind insecure implementations, it will result in an overall insecure system. For secure flash drives, it is pretty embarrassing to see the top vendors failing to deliver what their product had promised.</p><p>As demonstrated by this flaw, media-led consumers have an incorrect perception of certifications issued by big organizations. These certifications don't ensure that the device is secure, only that the cryptographic module is secure, right.</p><p>Ironkey users would be happy to know that the flaw has not affected their products. Ironkey uses hardware based authentication rather than sending unlock flags to the device. All Ironkey Secure Flash drives remained unaffected by this flaw, and we are not surprised to see sales of this device hitting the roof.</p><p>Remember, not only software is vulnerable, but also hardware. It is easier to analyze software under a debugger, but with the right tools, analyzing hardware under a debugger is just as easy. Particularly vulnerable is the sequence which unlocks the drive once the authentication is complete - which nodoubt should be one of the most guarded routines on the flash drive.</p><p>Luckily, Ironkey has designed its protection from the ground up. Chips on the drive are melted in ePoxy which means gaining access to the hardware is almost impossible, even by the most determined hackers.</p><p>As we understand, if you have spent over the odds to buy a secure flash drive, you shouldn't have to worry about implementation of security on the device. Although Kingston, Sandisk and Verbatim will furiously try to do whatever they can to remedy and bury the problem, we believe it wont be an easy task to restore consumer confidence.</p><p>As expected, Kingston is replacing all affected secure flash memory drives and issued the following statement to reassure its customers;<br /><br><blockquote>Kingston Digital Inc. considers the safety of our customer's data as paramount. Kingston customer's affected by any security risks should please visit our website for further direction on how to address any issues at: <a href="http://www.kingston.com/driveupdate/" rel="nofollow" target="_new">http: //www. kingston. com/driveupdate</a> </blockquote></p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p>Article Written By: Jason Mills, Techdna.co.uk<br>

Top Branded "Secure" USB Flash Drives Hacked

January 05, 2010, Most major memory brands such as Sandisk, Kingston and Verbatim provide Secure Flash Drives in addition to their standa...

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New Sony Blu-ray rewritable drives to support 3D

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//classifications/computing/upgrades-and-peripherals/storage/blu-ray-and-hd-dvd-drives/images/Sony-Optiarc-blu-ray-200-200.jpg"/><p>Sony has announced that it will be producing half-height internet Blu-ray Disc rewritable drives – which will allow playback of 3D Blu-ray movies. </p><p>Sony Optiarc America has announced that the new drives have a 12x recording speed for single BD-R content and 8x for dual-layer. </p><p>"Available in a retail and OEM configuration, the new drives are an ideal replacement burner for a standard DVD drive while offering all the benefits of Blu-ray Disc technology, including Blu-ray 3D high-definition playback," explained Sony's release.</p><p><strong>SATA</strong></p><p>"The internal drives feature a Serial ATA (SATA) interface and standard 5.25-inch form-factor for easy installation inside a desktop PC," it adds. </p><p>"They also incorporate intelligent monitoring for consistent recording, and adjusting read-speed technology which enhances smooth playback."</p><p>The drives will be available in November in the US, although there is as yet no details on UK release date or pricing. </p><img border="0" height="1" src="http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/9809/s/f5efb2b/mf.gif" width="1"/><div class='mf-related'><p>

New Sony Blu-ray rewritable drives to support 3D

Sony has announced that it will be producing half-height internet Blu-ray Disc rewritable drives – which will allow playback of 3D Blu-ray ...

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In Depth: Best SSDs: 12 top solid state drives

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20242/PCF242.w_group.supertest-200-200.jpg"><br /><P>To find out, we've gathered 12 of the best solid state drives known to man. More importantly, our so-solid dozen includes examples of every one of the key SSD drive controllers currently on the market. </P><br /><P>But first, a bit of history. SSD flash drives were supposed to be the final piece of the solid state puzzle. The last significant component to make the shift from moving parts to solid silicon. We could kiss goodbye to silly spinning platters and say hello to the kind of storage performance that was on a par with the rest of the PC platform. </P><br /><P>Unfortunately, it didn't happen that way. The early days of solid state drives were a sad story of suckage. When the first vaguely affordable drives rocked up a couple of years ago, they seemed slick enough out of the box – but they had problems in the way they read and wrote data.</P><br /><P>It was a bit of a downer, especially as they cost the earth. Since then, things have gradually improved. Thanks to new technologies, such as the TRIM command in Windows 7, the long-term performance of most drives is definitely on the up. </P><br /><P>What's more, capacities have been growing and prices falling. All of which begs the obvious question: are SSDs now fit for mainstream consumption? </P><br /><P>Make no mistake, it's the controller chipset more than any other component in an SSD that defines its performance and longevity. In that context, the identity of the drive manufacturer is less critical.</P><br /><P>As you'd expect, we have established controller favourites from the likes of Intel, Samsung and Indilinx. We also take our first look at the much-hyped Sandforce SF-1200 controller, a chip that promises massive sequential performance, speedy random access and long legs. But can it really deliver on all three counts? </P><br /><P>And that's not all. Courtesy of Crucial's C300 drive, we can add a new Marvell chip to the mix. Not all that much is known about Marvell's latest in terms of detailed specifications. However, in a way, the number of channels, the cache quantities and all that jazz don't matter. What does count is how well the thing actually performs. Roll on the benchmarks… </P><br /><P><STRONG>1. Kingston SSDNow V Series 30GB </STRONG></P><br /><P>Judging the performance and reliability of SSDs is tricky at the best of times. However, if you want even more punishment, may we suggest you add RAID to the mix? It adds yet another layer of complexity. </P><br /><P>For the record, and despite a recent Intel motherboard update, our best information is that the TRIM command is not supported for SSDs in RAID arrays. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. </P><br /><P><a href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/pc-components/storage/hard-disk-drives-hdd-/kingston-ssdnow-v-series-30gb-687710/review">Read the full Kingston SSDNow V Series review </A></P><br /><P><STRONG>2. OCZ Onyx 32GB</STRONG> </P><br /><P>When it comes to affordable SSDs, the latest fashion is towards the tiny. In that context, OCZ's new Onyx 32GB drive is as trendy as they come. But is it so small that you'd have to be a style victim to buy it? </P><br /><P>Very probably, yes. Fully formatted, you're left with 29.7GB of storage. That sounds like a reasonable result for a 32GB drive. At least, it does until you observe how much remains after a full install of Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit. </P><br /><P><a href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/pc-components/storage/hard-disk-drives-hdd-/ocz-onyx-32gb-706229/review">Read the full OCZ Onyx 32GB review </A></P><br /><P><STRONG>3. Intel X25-V 40GB </STRONG></P><br /><P>Fancy Intel's second generation SSD tech at a third the price of its flagship 160GB? Yes please. After all, Intel's current controller chipset technology is one of the few proven to maintain decent performance over time.</P><br /><P>In fact, our test X25-V drive has been knocking about PCF towers for some time. But, courtesy of support for the Windows 7 TRIM command, not to mention a quick buff-and-format treatment prior to testing, it's not far off box-fresh performance.</P><br /><P><a href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/pc-components/storage/hard-disk-drives-hdd-/ocz-x25-v-40gb-706237/review">Read the full Intel X25-V 40GB review </A></P><br /><P><STRONG>4. Corsair Nova V64 64GB</STRONG> </P><br /><P>What are your minimum requirements for an SSD? We know what ours are. First, we'd like a controller chipset that not only delivers good performance but keeps doing so for longer than a few weeks. </P><br /><P>Next, we want enough space for our operating system of choice and our favourite apps. We definitely don't want to shunt application installs onto a secondary drive. </P><br /><P>Finally, we'd rather not flog Granny to the glue factory to pay for it. At first glance, Corsair's latest budget-orientated drive nails the lot.</P><br /><P><a href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/pc-components/storage/hard-disk-drives-hdd-/corsair-memory-nova-v64-64gb-706250/review">Read the full Corsair Nova review</A></P><br /><P><STRONG>5. Kingston SSDNow V+ SERIES 128GB </STRONG></P><br /><P>As Admiral Adama once said to Colonel Tigh, context matters. Shortly after that, the re-imagined <EM>Battlestar Galactica</EM> series lost the plot. But the great pockmarked one did have a point. Taken out of context, £230 is a lot for any individual item of PC kit. </P><br /><P>But for a 128GB SSD, it's cheap. It's important to get your expectations calibrated before you consider this one. If you want a drive of this size and the best in solid state performance, you'll need to pay a bit more.</P><br /><P><a href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/pc-components/storage/hard-disk-drives-hdd-/kingston-ssdnow-v-gen-2-128gb-676514/review">Read the full Kingston SSDNow V+ review</A></P><br /><P><STRONG>6. Corsair P128 128GB </STRONG></P><br /><P>With the snazzy new Force F100 drive and its zippy Sandforce controller slotting in as Corsair's new performance SSD in the 100GB-ish segment, is the end nigh for the 128GB P128? </P><br /><P>Probably – but until it disappears, the P128 has plenty to offer. For starters, it's conspicuously better value than its in-house cousin and not simply in terms of capacity. </P><br /><P><a href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/pc-components/storage/hard-disk-drives-hdd-/corsair-memory-p128-128gb-706649/review">Read the full Corsair P128 review </A></P><br /><P><STRONG>7. Patriot Torqx 128GB </STRONG></P><br /><P>For the history of the SSD condensed into a single drive, look no further than Patriot's Torqx 128GB. It's been around for the better part of a year and, like the broader SSD category, it's been a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs. </P><br /><P>At launch, we had high hopes for the Torqx thanks to its Indilinx Barefoot controller. Various claims were made regarding the power of the Barefoot's ARMbased CPU. </P><br /><P><a href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/pc-components/storage/hard-disk-drives-hdd-/patriot-memory-torqx-128gb-706745/review">Read the full Patriot Torqx review </A></P><br /><P><STRONG>8. Crucial RealSSD C300 128GB </STRONG></P><br /><P>Along with the two Sandforce-based drives from OCZ and Corsair, Crucial's latest falls into what we'd call the fourth generation SSD category. Benefiting from all the lessons learned during the dodgy early days of SSD engineering, it's literally the latest technology. </P><br /><P>The fact that Crucial still managed to cock things up early on with the RealSSD C300 just goes to show how difficult it is to knock up a decent solid state drive. </P><br /><P><a href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/pc-components/storage/hard-disk-drives-hdd-/crucial-realssd-c300-128gb-706784/review">Read the full Crucial RealSSD review </A></P><br /><P><STRONG>9. Corsair Force F100 100GB </STRONG></P><br /><P>At any moment in the history of the solid state drives, there's always been an "it" SSD controller chipset – a controller that turns heads and generally dominates the news. </P><br /><P>First came the JMicron, famous for all the wrong reasons, then Intel shook the industry with a new controller majoring on maximum I/O ops and random performance. Indilinx followed with the Barefoot controller that was competitive on both price and performance. </P><br /><P><a href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/pc-components/storage/hard-disk-drives-hdd-/corsair-memory-force-f100-100gb-706831/review">Read the full Corsair Force F100 review </A></P><br /><P><STRONG>10. OCZ Vertex 2 100GB</STRONG></P><br /><P>Does OCZ's Vertex 2 smell familiar? It should do. After all, it boasts the same 100GB capacity as the Corsair Force F100. More importantly, it's the second SSD in our group to pack the impressive new Sandforce SF-1200 controller chipset. But which is better? </P><br /><P>As Harry Hill would say, there's only one way to find out. Fight! Actually, you need only make a price comparison and then conclude in favour of the Corsair. Right? Not so fast. </P><br /><P><a href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/pc-components/storage/hard-disk-drives-hdd-/ocz-vertex-2-100gb-709491/review">Read the full OCZ Vertex 2 review </A></P><br /><P><STRONG>11. Intel X25-M G2 160GB </STRONG></P><br /><P>When Intel decides to take on a technological challenge, it doesn't arse about. Nope, it crushes the problem with military force. However, with Intel's might also comes a lumbering clumsiness. </P><br /><P>On occasion, you can see the massive bureaucracy struggle to change direction in response to events. So it was with Intel's early SSDs, which suffered from rapidly degrading performance. </P><br /><P><a href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/pc-components/storage/hard-disk-drives-hdd-/intel-x25-m-g2-160gb-709501/review">Read the full Intel X25-M review </A></P><br /><P><STRONG>12. Western Digital SiliconEdge Blue 128GB </STRONG></P><br /><P>Disruptive new technologies tend to make established players look flat-footed. So it was that a small Californian company called Tesla beat mighty and historic brands including Porsche and Ferrari to market with the first pukka electric sports car. </P><br /><P>It's the same story when it comes to SSDs. A dozen drives from seven manufacturers make up our Supertest this month, but only the SiliconEdge Blue comes from a traditional hard drive maker, namely Western Digital. </P><br /><P><a href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/pc-components/storage/hard-disk-drives-hdd-/western-digital-siliconedge-blue-128gb-709523/review">Read the full Western Digital SiliconEdge Blue review </A></P><br /><P>Testing SSDs is probably the toughest job in tech journalism today. That's partly because although SSDs are solid, they're not completely static. Their performance can and does vary with use. </P><br /><P>More than other components, the gap between synthetic test results and real-world performance can also be enormous when it comes to these drives. For those reasons, we recommend care when drawing firm conclusions from the results published here. </P><br /><P>That's not to say the numbers below don't provide a useful insight into what you'll get for your money, rather that focusing on a figure – such as 4k random performance – could put you off what's actually a very effective SSD. So, with all that in mind, here are the numbers.</P><br /><P><img alt="Sequential read-write" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20242/Seqreadwrite-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P><img alt="4K read-write" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20242/4kreadwrite-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P><img alt="Burst" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20242/burst-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P><img alt="Level load" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20242/levelload-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P><img alt="App install" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20242/Appinstall-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P><img alt="Zip decompression" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20242/Zip%20decompress-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P><STRONG>Indexing the benches </STRONG></P><br /><P>Judging SSD performance is a tricky business, as it's not just all about the individual results for particular tests, but the overall picture. So we created a pair of indexes to help sort the dream drives from the not-so-solid duds. </P><br /><P>The bang-for-buck index combines a drive's performance in our application installation test with its cost. Of course, capacity also counts, so we've also added the storage size of each drive to the bang-for-buck index to create an overall metric of performance, value and capacity. </P><br /><P><img alt="Bang for buck" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20242/bangforbuck-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P><img alt="Overall" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20242/overall-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P><STRONG>And the winner is...</STRONG></P><br /><P>First the bad news. SSDs are still too expensive. For that reason, the biggest drive on test clocks in at 160GB. Drives in the 200GB and up category remain irrelevant. We haven't bothered to include them because they cost stupid money. It's that simple. </P><br /><P>That single, but significant, caveat aside, we're feeling more upbeat about solid state storage than ever. Unlike previous SSD groupies, not one of this month's models exhibited any noticeable lag or stutter. With the possible exception of some of the smaller drives, therefore, they'd all make a great upgrade over that antediluvian magnetic platter humming away inside your PC. </P><br /><P>On a similar general note, the subjective experience these drives deliver doesn't square precisely with the benchmark results. That's true both in comparison to each other and with our standard hard drive. What the benchies don't capture is the responsiveness and agility of the SSDs. </P><br /><P>You're never left waiting for a platter to spin up or the read head to change tack. Also, don't forget that the sort of instant and catastrophic failure that occasionally bricks a conventional hard drive is almost unheard of in SSD circles. </P><br /><P>It's time, then, for the prizes. In the 30GB to 40GB range, we'll give Intel the nod. Not only does the X25-V have a significant advantage in terms of 4k random performance, but the extra seven or eight GB of capacity could make the difference between having just enough space and the tedium of constantly shunting software on and off the drive. </P><br /><P>Further up the scale, the competition is extremely close. The next drive to grab our attention is Corsair's Nova V64. It's double the price of the smallest drives, but then it's also twice as large and therefore much more realistic as an all-purpose boot drive. The Nova is pretty quick, too, thanks to an Indilinx controller. </P><br /><P>As for the final honours, it's an incredibly tight contest. You can make a strong case for nearly all the 100GB-plus models tested. The two drives with the new Sandforce controller are certainly screamers, but first prize goes to Kingston's less exotic SSDNow V+ Series. </P><br /><P>Significantly cheaper than the competition, the V+ comes close enough in our real world app tests that we doubt you'd actually feel the benefit of a more expensive drive. It's the end-user experience, not numbers in a benchmark spreadsheet, that counts.</P>

In Depth: Best SSDs: 12 top solid state drives

To find out, we've gathered 12 of the best solid state drives known to man. More importantly, our so-solid dozen includes examples of ev...

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