SanDisk Ultra USB Flash drive
Features
• Company: SanDisk
• Compatibility with USB 2.0 High-speed interface with transfer speeds of up to 15 MB/sec
• SanDisk SecureAccess software. Up to 2GB of secure online backup from Dmailer software.
• Compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 2000, Mac OS X v10.1.2+ and Linux (storage only), IntelPentium PC or Macintosh computer with USB support
• Five-year limited warranty
Price: 8 GB – Rs 1199; 32 GB – Rs 3799
SONY Microvault TINY
Features
• Company: Sony
• Interface: High-speed USB 2.0 (USB 1.1 compatible)
• Dimension: 17.5×4.6×40.5mm³; Weight: Approximately 4gm
• Bundled software: File res-cue and X-Pict software
• One-year warranty
Price: 4GB – Rs 500, 8GB – Rs 925, 16GB – Rs 1865
Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 Generation 2 (DTU30G2)
Features
• Company: Kingston
• USB 3.0 Flash drive with read speed up to 100MB/s, and write speed up to 70 MB/s. When plugged into a USB 2.0 port, the drive has read and write speeds of around 30MB/s
• Dimensions: 73.70×22.20×16.10mm³
• Five-year warranty
Price: 32GB – Rs 4595
Iomega SSD Flash drive
Features
• Company: Iomega
• USB 3.0 compatibility with write speeds up to twice as fast as 7200 RPM SATA hard drives. Backward compatible with USB 2.0
• 256-bit hardware encryption built-in for your data security (PC only), Protection Suite soft-ware via download with antivirus and backup
• Operating system: Compatible with Microsoft Windows Vista/XP Home / XP Professional / Windows 7 (32-bit), 256MB RAM or higher as required by oper-ating systemMac OSX Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard (requires reformatting)
• Maximum read speed – up to 265MB/s; maximum write speed – up to 215MB/s, MTBF – 1.2 million hours
• Dimensions : 10.5×69.1×9.4mm³; Weight 0.11kg
• Three-year warranty with product registration
Price: 64 GB – Rs 11,000; 128 GB – Rs 19,900; 250 GB – Rs 36,000
Velox series V20 SSD
Features
• Company: Silicon Power
• 6.36cm (2.5-inch) SSD with continuous read speed of up to 285MB/sec and write speed of up to 275MB/sec per second.
• Dimension: 100×69.85×9.4mm; Weight: 70gm
• Uses SandForce controller’s patented Dura-Class technology and can extend the SSD’s lifespan up to ἀve years
• Three-year warranty
Price: 40GB – Rs 6670; 60GB – Rs 6360; 120GB – Rs 9960; 240GB – Rs 20,540
Note: Some products carry estimated market price which may vary as per taxes
FreeAgent GoFlex Ultra–portable Drive
Features
• Company: Seagate
• USB 2.0 or 3.0 plug–and–play connectivity
• Includes pre–loaded backup software
• Can be uppgraded to USB 3.0, FireWire 800 or eSATA
• Allows you to access your content on your TV, network and on–the–go when combined with other GoFlex devices
Street price: 1TB – Rs 4950 (Rs 1900 for cable to upgrade to USB 3.0)
Most bulky data—such as music, video, photographs and documents— get minimal benefit from a portable SSD and thus should be stored on a separate hard disk. Unlike hard disks, where 1TB drive is affordable, SSDs’ pricing is almost proportional to the capacity.
Though hard disk drives come in various sizes, 320GB capacity offers a fairly good storage capacity.
Included software. Most PSDs come with pre-installed applications such as security programs, sync tools and virtual application platforms.
Factors like ease of use, automatic period back ups and customisation as per the user’s needs should be considered while evaluating the software that comes bundled with the hard drive.
Support/warranty. Before investing in a PSD look for manufacturer’s customer service through online documentation like FAQs or a knowledge base. Customers should be able to reach customer support by phone or e-mail. A lifetime warranty ensures you’ll have your drive for years to come.
Physical features. Ensure that your PSD is ergonomically designed and has practical features with ease-of-use. For example, USB Flash drives come with swivel caps for extra protection. It is better to invest in portable HDDs that do not require any external power source or cord-clutter for operation.
Decide if you need a more protective case. If you’re rough on your drives, hauling them everywhere and dropping them into a briefcase or bag, choose a drive that’s robust and can take the abuse.
Noise. Unlike traditional HDDs being mechanically designed, SSDs have no moving parts, meaning no sound while it’s operating, and much safer in use.
Applications predominantly define product choice. Easy storage and transport, backup/archival, quick storage and replay of high-definition content needs to be decided first.
Next step would be to decide on devices that best serve the applications available in the market. This should be followed by an evaluation of technical features, support and warranty. Across the board, key technical features that buyers should consider while choosing PSDs are endurance, speed, security, capacity, interface options, cost per GB, in-built data protection and recovery features, bundled software, form factors—colour and shape, robust build quality including water and fire proofing, and lastly regulatory compliance.
One should pay equal attention to the software that comes with the hard drive. Factors like ease of use, automatic period back ups and customisation as per the user’s needs should be considered while evaluating the software that comes bundled with the hard drive.
The author is assistant editor at EFY
