External Hard Drives: Reviews

LaCie external hard drives have traditionally been seen as extremely dependable but expensive and Mac-centric. Reviews say those two objections don't apply anymore: The LaCie d2 Quadra works effortlessly with both PCs and… Macs in tests, and it costs the same as some less reliable and feature-rich drives. Testers say the d2 Quadra can transfer data quickly via all four major connections on the market -- USB 2.0, FireWire 400 and 800 and eSATA. It includes backup software for PCs and Macs, and it's compatible with Apple's Time Machine backup software. The d2 Quadra is also sold in 1 TB (*Est. $155), 1.5 TB (*Est. $220) and 2 TB (*Est. $280) capacities. If you don't need that much memory -- or the faster eSATA and FireWire connections -- the portable Seagate FreeAgent Go (*Est. $70 for 250 GB) may be sufficient.

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Portable drives don't need to be plugged into an outlet; rather, they can be powered through your computer's USB port. The small Seagate drive spins at 5,400 RPM, which means data transfers will not be as speedy as with a… 7,200-RPM desktop drive like the LaCie d2 Quadra (*Est. $125 for 500 GB). Experts say the Seagate portable hard drive works as advertised, and we found fewer reports of drive failure than we did for many other drives. This drive is also sold in 320 GB (*Est. $80), 500 GB (*Est. $105) and 640 GB (*Est. $120) capacities, and there's a separate version for Mac users. Reviewers especially like the backup/portability software and the five-year limited warranty.

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Most external hard drives (including all of the other Best Reviewed drives) attach directly to your computer. Network-attached storage drives, however, can connect to a wired or wireless router with an Ethernet cable.… That allows the drive to be accessed by any computer on the network for backups or file access. The Western Digital My Book World Edition backs up data with speed and simplicity in professional tests on PCs and Macs, and it can also stream music, movies and photos to your HDTV. A USB port allows you to connect additional drives. Just make sure you get the current model; although experts say this one works well, owners say the previous-generation My Book World Edition does not.

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Most external hard drives can be easily destroyed by a spilled cup of coffee, much less a flood or fire. But the ioSafe Solo is built to withstand a 1,550-degree Fahrenheit fire for 30 minutes or submersion in 10 feet of… water for three days. It includes one year of data recovery and a three-year warranty (both can be extended to five years at an extra cost). Experts and users say this drive works well with PCs and Macs, but unlike the top-rated LaCie d2 Quadra (*Est. $125 for 500 GB) desktop drive, the ioSafe includes only a USB 2.0 connection and no backup software. It's also much bigger and heavier than other external drives, at 15 pounds and nearly a foot wide. The ioSafe Solo is also sold in 1 TB (*Est. $230) and 1.5 TB (*Est. $295) capacities.

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