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Top 10 External Hard Drives

External hard drives aren't as fast as internal models, but they are great for backups and are easy to install. Ratings and rankings can change due to pricing and technology changes, so check back frequently for the latest info.

Edited by Melissa Perenson

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PCW Rating: 84.2PCW Rating: 84.2PCW Rating: 84.2

Last Rated: November 07, 2007

 BEST BUY!

1. SimpleTech Duo Pro Drive

Drive size (GB): 1000, Supported Interface(s): External SATA-300, USB 2.0, Speed (RPM): 7200, Cost per Gigabyte: $0.36,

Bottom Line: Terrific design, speedy performance, and versatile backup software make this drive a strong choice.

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PCW Rating: 84.2PCW Rating: 84.2PCW Rating: 84.2

Last Rated: November 07, 2007

2. Apricorn EZ Bus Desktop SATA

Drive size (GB): 500, Supported Interface(s): External SATA-300, USB 2.0, Speed (RPM): 7200, Buffer Size (MB): 8, Cost per Gigabyte: $0.35,

Bottom Line: This fast, cheap drive comes with three basic backup, file-copy, and encryption utilities.

Test Report • Check latest prices 		Price When Reviewed: $175 Check Latest Prices

PCW Rating: 83.9PCW Rating: 83.9PCW Rating: 83.9

Last Rated: November 07, 2007

3. LaCie d2 Quadra

Drive size (GB): 500, Supported Interface(s): External SATA-150, USB 2.0, FireWire 800/400, Speed (RPM): 7200, Buffer Size (MB): 16, Cost per Gigabyte: $0.4,

Bottom Line: For a slight price premium, you get the flexibility of USB, SATA, FireWire 400, and FireWire 800 data interfaces.

Test Report • Check latest prices 		Price When Reviewed: $200 Check Latest Prices

PCW Rating: 79.1PCW Rating: 79.1PCW Rating: 79.1

Last Rated: November 07, 2007

4. Seagate FreeAgent Pro

Drive size (GB): 750, Supported Interface(s): External SATA-300, USB 2.0, Speed (RPM): 7200, Buffer Size (MB): 16, Cost per Gigabyte: $0.33,

Bottom Line: An eye catching design coupled with a useful and well-rounded software help differentiate the FreeAgent Pro.

Full Review • Test Report • Check latest prices 		Price When Reviewed: $250 Check Latest Prices

PCW Rating: 78.9PCW Rating: 78.9PCW Rating: 78.9

Last Rated: November 07, 2007

5. Western Digital MyBook Premium ES Edition

Drive size (GB): 500, Supported Interface(s): External SATA-300, USB 2.0, Speed (RPM): 7200, Buffer Size (MB): 16, Cost per Gigabyte: $0.34,

Bottom Line: This model sports a nice design, but it's slower than other 500GB SATA drives.

Test Report • Check latest prices 		Price When Reviewed: $170 Check Latest Prices

PCW Rating: 78.4PCW Rating: 78.4PCW Rating: 78.4

Last Rated: November 07, 2007

6. CMS Products 1TB Velocity2 Series Backup System

Drive size (GB): 1000, Supported Interface(s): External SATA-300, USB 2.0, Speed (RPM): 7200, Buffer Size (MB): 16, Cost per Gigabyte: $0.53,

Bottom Line: This top-flight performer provides a software/hardware combination for creating a bootable backup drive.

Test Report • Check latest prices 		Price When Reviewed: $533 Check Latest Prices

PCW Rating: 77.7PCW Rating: 77.7PCW Rating: 77.7

Last Rated: November 07, 2007

7. Western Digital My Book Pro Edition

Drive size (GB): 500, Supported Interface(s): USB 2.0, FireWire 800/400, Speed (RPM): 7200, Buffer Size (MB): 16, Cost per Gigabyte: $0.46,

Bottom Line: This triple-interface drive looks pretty, but its peformance was lackluster.

Test Report • Check latest prices 		Price When Reviewed: $230 Check Latest Prices

PCW Rating: 77.7PCW Rating: 77.7PCW Rating: 77.7

Last Rated: November 07, 2007

8. Apricorn EZ Bus DT Desktop

Drive size (GB): 250, Supported Interface(s): External SATA-150, USB 2.0, Speed (RPM): 7200, Buffer Size (MB): 8, Cost per Gigabyte: $0.5,

Bottom Line: eSATA desktop drive is fast and inexpensive; it comes with basic backup, encryption, and disk-imaging software.

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PCW Rating: 76.1PCW Rating: 76.1PCW Rating: 76.1

Last Rated: November 07, 2007

9. Western Digital My Book Home Edition

Drive size (GB): 1000, Supported Interface(s): External SATA-300, USB 2.0, FireWire 400, Speed (RPM): 7200, Buffer Size (MB): 16, Cost per Gigabyte: $0.36,

Bottom Line: Reasonably priced for a single 1TB drive, this model lacks the performance oomph of some of its competitors.

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PCW Rating: 75.2PCW Rating: 75.2PCW Rating: 75.2

Last Rated: November 07, 2007

10. Maxtor OneTouch III Turbo Edition

Drive size (GB): 1500, Supported Interface(s): USB 2.0, FireWire 800/400, Speed (RPM): 7200, Buffer Size (MB): 16, Cost per Gigabyte: $0.37,

Bottom Line: This model's performance and backup software are impressive, but its drives are not readily accessible.

Test Report • Check latest prices 		Price When Reviewed: $550 Check Latest Prices
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