Seagate FreeAgent Pro USB/eSATA/FireWire external hard drive (320GB)

The good: AutoBackup and FreeAgent Tools software are easy to use and highly configurable; drive offers good gigabyte-per-dollar value; smooth interface with Internet Drive and Shutterfly; eSATA connectivity offers fast transfer speeds; elegant design; generous warranty.

The bad: Mac users can't take advantage of the bundled software; software installation is a bit slow; accessing your data "anywhere" requires you to have the foresight to upload it to the Internet Drive and potentially purchase more online storage capacity from Seagate; Shutterfly is the only online photo service it works with.

The bottom line: The Seagate FreeAgent Pro external hard drive is an elegant workaround for users who are intimidated by NAS drives. The bundled software is simple to use and makes copying your data to various location a cinch. We really like this external hard drive.


Specifications

Manufacturer:Seagate Technology Inc.


General

Device Type - Hard drive - External hard drive
Width - 1.4 in
Depth - 6.3 in
Height - 7.5 in

Hard Drive

Form Factor - 3.5"
Capacity - 320 GB
Interface type - IEEE 1394 (FireWire) / Hi-Speed USB / eSATA-300
Spindle speed - 7200 rpm

Storage Controller

Type - None

Storage Controller (2nd)

Type - None

Expansion / Connectivity

Interfaces - Hi-Speed USB, IEEE 1394 (FireWire), ESATA-300
Compatible Bays - None
Compatible Slots - x None

Miscellaneous

Cables Included - 1 x USB cable, 1 x IEEE 1394 cable
Package type - Retail

Power

External Hard Drive Power Source - Included AC adapter

System Requirements

OS Required - Microsoft Windows Vista, Apple MacOS X 10.3.9 or later, Apple MacOS X 10.4.6 or later, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional

Software / System Requirements

Software type - Drivers & Utilities

Manufacturer Warranty

Service & support type - 5 years warranty
Service & Support Details - Limited warranty - 5 years

Price Around $ 250

Western Digital MyBook World Edition NAS server

The good: Dead-simple to set up remote access and file sharing; includes support for Gigabit Ethernet; bundled backup software lets you restore as well; generous warranty period.

The bad: Slow read/write speeds; no print server or media server; some file types not supported by MioNet for sharing.

The bottom line: The Western Digital MyBook World Edition is a simple-to-use NAS drive that makes remote access and file sharing easy for even beginners. Only its slow data transfer speed gives us pause.

Specifications

Manufacturer: Western Digital Corp.


General

Device Type - NAS server
Host Connectivity - Gigabit Ethernet
Total Storage Capacity - 500 GB
Width - 2.2 in
Depth - 5.6 in
Height - 6.8 in
Weight - 2.6 lbs

Hard Drive

Type - Standard
Capacity - 1 x 500 GB
Spindle speed - 7200 rpm

Storage

Optical Storage - None

Optical Storage

Type - None

Expansion / Connectivity

Expansion Bays Total (Free) - None
Expansion Slots Total (Free) - None
Interfaces - 1 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A, 1 x Ethernet 1000Base-T - RJ-45

Optical Storage (2nd)

Type - None

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous compliant standards - RoHS
Cables Included - Network cable

Storage Removable

Type - None

Power

Power device type - Power adapter
Power Device - Power adapter - External
Voltage Required - AC 120/230 V

Hard Drive (2nd)

Type - None

System Requirements

OS Required - Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Peripheral / Interface Devices - CD-ROM, Internet connection

Software / System Requirements

Software type - Drivers & Utilities, EMC Retrospect Express
Min Processor Type - 500 MHz
System Requirements Details - Pentium III - RAM 512 MB - HD 500 MB

Networking

Type - Network adapter
Data link protocol - Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet

Manufacturer Warranty

Service & support type - 3 years warranty
Service & Support Details - Limited warranty - 3 years

Environmental Parameters

Min operating temperature - 41 °F
Max operating temperature - 95 °F

Video

Video Output - None

Price Around $ 200

Drobo Hard Drive

Product Summary

The good: Protects your data without your interference; can take a 3.5-inch SATA drive of any capacity and from any vendor; hot swappable; your data is available while Drobo is formatting a new drive (even if one drive fails); runs quietly; dashboard lets you track the condition of your Drobo.

The bad: Drobo itself is an USB-only device, and networking capability adds $200 to the bill; we would like to see Drobo bundled with a good backup application.

The bottom line: Drobo takes the pain and confusion out of data protection and lets you tailor and expand the drive according to your needs. This so-called storage robot works exactly as promised and is the most innovative storage device we've seen in a long time. We want one.

Specifications

Manufacturer:Data Robotics, Inc.


General

Device - Type Hard drive array
Width - 6 in
Depth - 10.7 in
Height - 6.3 in

Cabinet (Chassis)

Supported Devices / Modules Qty - 4

Storage Controller

Storage controller interface type - Hi-Speed USB
Controller interface type - Serial ATA-300
Type - Serial ATA - Integrated - Hi-Speed USB
Storage Controller / Supported Device Type - Hard drive

Storage Controller (2nd)

Type - None

Expansion / Connectivity

Interfaces - 1 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type B

Miscellaneous

Cables Included - 1 x USB cable
Miscellaneous compliant standards - UL, CUL, FCC Part 15 B

Power

Power device type - Power supply
Voltage Required - AC 120/230 V

System Requirements

OS Required - Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows 2003, Microsoft Windows Vista, Apple MacOS X 10.4 or later

Software / System Requirements

Software type - Drivers & Utilities

Manufacturer Warranty

Service & support type - 1 year warranty
Service & Support Details - Limited warranty - 1 year

Price around $500