In Pictures: New Looks in Portable Hard Drives

Maxtor originated the button-based backup trend with its OneTouch line. Now, the Seagate Maxtor OneTouch 4 Mini continues to feature a button on the front in the 80GB, 120GB, and 160GB capacities (selling for $100, $100, and $140, respectively). The drive features a brushed-aluminum top surface, like its predecessor; but now the bottom is made of a rubberized, nonslip surface on the bottom, and the sides have reinforced plastic around the edges. The mini-USB connector is on the left side, near the front--a potentially inconvenient location if you want to keep the drive's backup button at the front. The button can be programmed to initiate file synchronization or file backup using the included Maxtor Manager software. Maxtor Manager is Windows and Mac compatible.