Given the state of storage technology in recent years, and then comparing it to say, 1995, when a 2GB HDD was considered state-of-the-art, the pinnacle for storage space and compare it to the 320GB, 500GB and 1TB models of today, you'll be totally flabbergasted for words. Now imagine what it would be like in 10 years time when we look back on our current 1TB models as an antique model while we all use ultra high capacity drives in the range of Petabytes and probably relying on solid state drives or even holographic storage technology! Mind boggling indeed, even for us.
Of course, let's not forget that while our storage capacity will increase, our requirements will likewise increase. Take the current digital explosion for example, where movies, videos and music all form part of our current lifestyle requirements; can you imagine not listening to your 8GB MP3 player or snapping photos with your 8MP digital camera? Or when HD multimedia files become the norm?
While most people store their data on their computer, should a problem arise and with no way of recovery but to reformat the hard disk, one would potentially lose a lifetime's worth of data and beautiful memories. The only solution to prevent this loss would be to conduct regular backups and face it, with our reliance on the digital medium; backing up our data seems like a really good idea in the long run.
To complement that line of thought, in this article, we test drive three ready-to-use retail external storage drives of 750GB in capacity: the Buffalo DriveStation Turbo USB, the Seagate FreeAgent Pro and the Maxtor OneTouch 4 Plus. Of course there's always the DIY route to external storage drives and for this reason, we've also compared the retail ready-to-use drives against the DIY option for knowledge sake and point of comparison in terms of usability, performance and cost. So keep on reading for our impressions and findings, but to start off here's a table of summary of the models that are compared in this article:-
Breakdown Of the Models
| Model | Buffalo DriveStation Turbo USB 750GB | Seagate FreeAgent Pro 750GB | Maxtor OneTouch 4 Plus 750GB | DIY Option: Seagate Barracuda 750GB & CoolerMaster X Craft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interface Type | ||||
| Drive Capacity | ||||
| Spindle Speed | ||||
| Buffer Size | ||||
| General Dimensions | ||||
| Weight | ||||
| Warranty | ||||
| Price |
Buffalo DriveStation Turbo USB - Cowabunga!
As the name suggests, the Buffalo DriveStation comes with a Turbo USB feature. Buffalo claims that optimizations were done to reduce the amount of overhead that a standard USB driver usually introduces during normal data transfer, and supposedly results in faster throughput and improved performance of up to 37%.
We'll put this feature to the test to see if the claims hold up. The Turbo USB function of the DrivesStation has to be manually activated via the bundled CD, which installs a special driver to enable the overdrive mode. The CD also provides the Memeo auto backup software and the SecureLockWare (for encrypting your backup data).
The Buffalo DriveStation Turbo USB has a heat sink chassis and an optional fan is available for purchase to cool the HDD even further if required.
The Buffalo DriveStation Turbo USB package comes with the following accessories:
- USB 2.0 Cable
- Power Adapter
- CD with Memeo and SecureLockWare
- Manual
Seagate FreeAgent Pro - Born Free
While the Seagate FreeAgent Pro does not have the Turbo USB feature of the Buffalo, it does come with an eSATA port in addition to the standard USB 2.0 port. Strangely enough, an eSATA cable was not included in the package. Otherwise, the FreeAgent Pro is usable right out of the box and scores points for its gorgeous design. Enclosed in a shiny dark metal brown casing with a nifty orange glow, the FreeAgent Pro is a sleek model that could pose as a designer art piece. The overall design however makes the FreeAgent Pro one of the larger and heavier external storage drives around. Unlike the FreeAgent Go, the Pro was really meant to be a desk-bound version and as a result the big difference in drive designs. The pedestal of the FreeAgent Pro also has a touch-sensitive power button, but take note that you require to hold it a little longer than expected to activate it.
The FreeAgent Pro external drive comes packed with the bundled software already installed inside, so there's no need to hunt down the installation CD, which also means there's also no real worry when using the FreeAgent Pro on another computer. The Freeagent software provides a host of features including the ability to adjust the drive sleep interval and the lighting settings for the FreeAgent Pro. Lastly, the power adapter is small and compact; less to lug around!
The best looking enclosure compared to the other models for this roundup, the Seagate FreeAgent Pro definitely stands out in looks, but will it perform?
The Seagate FreeAgent Pro comes with the following accessories:
- USB 2.0 Cable
- Power Adapter
- Pre-loaded bundled FreeAgent software on the drive
Maxtor OneTouch 4 Plus - Touch Again
For the next incarnation of their OneTouch series, Maxtor has decided to do away with the previous clunky box like design of their casing to an odd quadrangle shaped casing. While better looking than its previous design, our first impression of the vault-like casing was that it was ugly; that's not to say the OneTouch 4 is a bad product as it actually has a full range of features that should please any user. One thing to note here though is Maxtor's target user group, which is mainly that of the corporate world. This explains the rather straightforward external design (a contrast from that of Seagate's offering), which fits in the general corporate culture. This is also the only drive in our roundup to feature FireWire, but for eSATA needs, you'll need go with the Seagate option. Like the Seagate FreeAgent Pro, Maxtor's power adapter is small and compact, as compared to those on the Buffalo and the DIY kit.
The OneTouch 4 Plus, like the Seagate FreeAgent comes pre-loaded with software, meaning there's no need to lug an installation CD around. The Maxtor SafetyDrill software provides backup functions (including taking images of your entire HDD) while their Maxtor DrivePass provides two levels of security, including 256-bit AES encryption (a boon in the business world). The drive's housing itself has a translucent 'bar' button (which doubles up as a power status indicator) that works hand-in-hand with the software to facilitate "OneTouch" backup and you can preset it to backup/sync exactly what you require. Clearly, the Maxtor drive has what it takes to convince business users.
The Maxtor OneTouch 4 Plus has been redesigned from its previous clunky design and features both FireWire and USB 2.0 support.
- IEEE 1394 FireWire cable
- USB 2.0 Cable
- Power Adapter
- Pre-loaded bundled Maxtor SafetyDrill software
DIY - From Ground UpSome
users may prefer to actually not use a pre-built solution and take a DIY route. This actually gives them a slight flexibility in casing design and HDD choice. To test if this is actually a viable option, we slapped together a Seagate Barracuda 750GB with the CoolerMaster X Craft casing. The X Craft comes with one eSATA and one USB 2.0 port. The net cost however comes up quite similar to that of a retail off-the-shelf option, but you do get to choose the appearance of your external drive enclosure - the only real plus point. For hardcore users, the ability to swap various hard drives around could also be another plus point. However, beware of very shoddy low cost drive enclosures as they may forego quality in the areas of ease of assembly and even the circuitry between the physical drive and the ports, which could lead to problems over time. Also some enclosures might forego backup software and even if they are provided, they are hardly as tightly-knit as those on the Maxtor and Seagate external drives.
The CoolerMaster X Craft casing is well designed with a sleek shiny black finish and supports up to 1TB hard disks.
Just for your information only, this CoolerMaster X Craft casing kit comes with the following accessories:
- e-SATA Cable
- USB 2.0 Cable
- Power Adapter
- e-SATA bracket
- CD with Drivers and Plug & Go Backup Software
Concluding Remarks
If you look closely at the results, you'll find that there's really not that much of a difference between the models (barring the Turbo USB Boost) such that you'll have to definitely get that any on particular model. However with Buffalo's Turbo USB enabled, it definitely had the performance edge, albeit the extent of its lead would vary depending upon the usage scenario. What was a letdown was Seagate's underwhelming eSATA performance that has yet to receive an official firmware update, its disk access times and Maxtor's underperforming FireWire 400 interface. These interface options pose an added advantage to the prospective buyers, but we found them otherwise.
On a another note of operational noise, the Buffalo unit's operation was slightly audible when it is busy. While it's still on the quiet end of the scale, for the very discerning user, you might want to keep the DriveStation a little further away. The other two drives very almost silent in operation and while that's a good sign generally, you would be surprised that there are users who do like a gentle audio acknowledgement. Good thing that Seagate's orange glow indicator reciprocates to disk activity, but it's not as visible on the Maxtor.
In the end, it really boils down to personal preference and taste when selecting an external storage drive. Each model actually brings to the table different options and capabilities; if you were performance driven, the Buffalo would be the obvious choice for you, and likewise, if you were looking for aesthetics and ease of use, the Seagate or Maxtor (depending on your taste and area of use) would definitely fit your bill. Furthermore, Maxtor's comprehensive backup options, security and industrial design would no doubt be an ideal office companion, wherever it's deployed. Here's how we some them all up:-
Buffalo DriveStation Turbo USB 750GB: The best performance of all the units tested with the Turbo USB boost driver, the Buffalo is a worthy purchase for any user. However the lack of any pre-loaded software can be slightly irritating for users on the go.
Seagate FreeAgent Pro 750GB: While not as fast as the other options, awesome looks and pre-loaded software makes this a suitable choice for casual users and design conscious folks who will definitely appreciate the "use straight out of the box" philosophy that Seagate has for the FreeAgent range. Just beware of the eSATA performance for now.
Maxtor OneTouch 4 Plus 750GB: The performance of the model is pretty consistent throughout and together with the business-centric pre-loaded software and features, this unit will appeal to businesses and users who don't mind the vault-like design.
If you are looking for a little more flexibility and cost savings (though not by a whole lot), the DIY option would also be an attractive route. Of course, what you get out of it would really depend on the quality of the enclosure you buy and the capacity of your hard disks. In the worst case scenario you would actually end up paying more for the build, design and if your enclosure has tons of features and connectivity for every single interface on the market today. For the rest of us who prefer a ready-to-use product like a brand named PC, you have the retail external hard drive solutions as covered in this article.
Editor's Note: Though we've also contacted Western Digital to send us their 750GB external HDD solution, they were unable to send us a unit for this feature.
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