PC World - Chart - Top 10 External Hard Drives

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	Rank	Name	PCW Rating
	1 BEST BUY	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 Price When Reviewed: $360 Check latest prices Bottom Line: Terrific design, speedy performance, and versatile backup software make this drive a strong choice. (Last Rated: November 07, 2007) Test Report
	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 Price When Reviewed: $175 Check latest prices Bottom Line: This fast, cheap drive comes with three basic backup, file-copy, and encryption utilities. (Last Rated: November 07, 2007) Test Report
	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 Price When Reviewed: $200 Check latest prices Bottom Line: For a slight price premium, you get the flexibility of USB, SATA, FireWire 400, and FireWire 800 data interfaces. (Last Rated: November 07, 2007) Test Report

	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 Price When Reviewed: $250 Check latest prices Bottom Line: An eye catching design coupled with a useful and well-rounded software help differentiate the FreeAgent Pro. (Last Rated: November 07, 2007) Full Review • Test Report
	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 Price When Reviewed: $170 Check latest prices Bottom Line: This model sports a nice design, but it's slower than other 500GB SATA drives. (Last Rated: November 07, 2007) Test Report
	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 Price When Reviewed: $533 Check latest prices Bottom Line: This top-flight performer provides a software/hardware combination for creating a bootable backup drive. (Last Rated: November 07, 2007) Test Report

	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 Price When Reviewed: $230 Check latest prices Bottom Line: This triple-interface drive looks pretty, but its peformance was lackluster. (Last Rated: November 07, 2007) Test Report
	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 Price When Reviewed: $125 Check latest prices Bottom Line: eSATA desktop drive is fast and inexpensive; it comes with basic backup, encryption, and disk-imaging software. (Last Rated: November 07, 2007) Test Report
	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 Price When Reviewed: $360 Check latest prices Bottom Line: Reasonably priced for a single 1TB drive, this model lacks the performance oomph of some of its competitors. (Last Rated: November 07, 2007) Test Report
	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 Price When Reviewed: $550 Check latest prices Bottom Line: This model's performance and backup software are impressive, but its drives are not readily accessible. (Last Rated: November 07, 2007) Test Report

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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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