External Hard Drives: Reviews

Updated November 2008

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Best external hard drive

320 GB *Est. $160 Compare Prices

According to reviews, the Seagate FreeAgent Pro is easy to use, versatile and reliable. Reviewers generally agree that speeds are good and reliability is above average; we found fewer complaints of drive failure for the… Seagate FreeAgent Pro than we did for other external hard drives. Six versions are available with capacities from 320 to 750 GB. All have USB 2.0 and eSATA connectors. Three versions add FireWire connectors. Critics praise the bundled software. The drives work with PCs and Macs, but the software is Windows-only. A five-year limited warranty distinguishes Seagate from other brands.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

TweakTown.com: TweakTown calls the Seagate FreeAgent Pro a "must-have" for users requiring high-capacity storage. Performance scores are very ...

HardwareZone.com: Hardware Zone says that the Seagate FreeAgent Pro 750 GB drive is an attractive-looking, easy-to-use choice for casual users. ...

Techgage.com: Techgage likes the Seagate FreeAgent Pro, calling it a feature-rich, "high-end" product that blends attractive packaging with a ...

PCMag.com: PC Magazine's editors rate the Seagate FreeAgent Pro 750 GB as "Good" thanks to hefty storage capacity, eSATA compatibility and a ...

ExtremeTech.com: ExtremeTech compares five drives in this roundup, and the Seagate FreeAgent Pro is one of the losers, overall thanks mostly to ...

Amazon.com: Owners are split on the Seagate FreeAgent Pro. While half say it's easy to use and installed flawlessly, the other half have ...

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Best portable external hard drive

Seagate FreeAgent Go

250 GB *Est. $135 Compare Prices

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. Experts say the Seagate portable hard drive works as advertised, and we found fewer reports of drive failure than we did for competing portable drives from Maxtor and Western Digital. This portable Seagate USB hard drive is also sold in 320 GB (*est. $150) and 500 GB (*est. $225) 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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Expert & User Review Sources:

Amazon.com: From close to 70 user reviews, the average rating for the FreeAgent Go is about four stars out of five. Buyers love the easy ...

NewEgg.com: The average rating for the Seagate FreeAgent Go by Newegg users is above average, and no user gives it the lowest rating. ...

Laptop Magazine: Laptop Magazine labels the Seagate FreeAgent Go an Editor's Choice, thanks to its ample storage capacity, five-year warranty and ...

Register Hardware.co.uk: Register Hardware gives the Seagate FreeAgent Go a positive overall rating, detailing the bundled software and comparing ...

TomsHardware.com: After reviewing several portable 2.5" drives, Tom's Hardware concludes that they aren't really comparable to each other. The ...

DigitalTrends.com: Digital Trends likes the FreeAgent Go and applauds its five-year warranty. Editors like the drive's ease of use and says it ...

PCMag.com: PC Magazine summarizes its review of the Seagate FreeAgent Go by saying that it's a good option for Windows users who need a ...

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Mass storage external drive, network capable.

HP Media Vault MV2120

500 GB *Est. $300 Compare Prices

Most external hard 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 HP Media Vault MV2120 can also stream some multimedia files to compatible wireless adapters on the network, letting it do double duty as a media server. Two USB ports allow you to connect additional drives. The drive works with Windows, Mac and Linux systems.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

CNet.com: CNet.com praises the HP Media Vault MV2120 as a flexible, very user-friendly NAS solution that even novices can take advantage ...

Computer Shopper: Computer Shopper calls the HP Media Vault MV2120 an expandable "jack-of-all-trades" NAS device that's easy to set up, with a ...

PC World: PC World's review of the HP Media Vault MV2120 is brief but helpful. The unit is seen as being easy to use and good for users ...

Amazon.com: About 30 owners review their HP Media Vault at Amazon.com. Most are happy with this drive, but a few had trouble getting it to ...

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Seagate FreeAgent Pro 500 GB USB/eSATA/FireWire *Est. $145

4 picks by top review sites.

Seagate FreeAgent Pro 750 GB USB/eSATA *Est. $140

4 picks by top review sites.

Seagate FreeAgent Pro 1 TB USB/eSATA/FireWire *Est. $270

4 picks by top review sites.

Maxtor OneTouch 4 Mini 120 GB *Est. $85

3 picks by top review sites.

Maxtor OneTouch 4 Mini 160 GB *Est. $95

3 picks by top review sites.

Maxtor OneTouch 4 Mini 250 GB *Est. $120

3 picks by top review sites.

Maxtor OneTouch 4 Mini 320 GB *Est. $150

3 picks by top review sites.

LaCie d2 Quadra 500 GB *Est. $155

2 picks by top review sites.

Western Digital My Book Home Edition 500 GB *Est. $135 for 500 GB

2 picks by top review sites.

LaCie d2 Quadra 320 GB *Est. $130

2 picks by top review sites.

LaCie d2 Quadra 750 GB *Est. $195

2 picks by top review sites.

LaCie d2 Quadra 1 TB *Est. $310

2 picks by top review sites.

Seagate FreeAgent Go 320 GB *Est. $150

2 picks by top review sites.

Seagate FreeAgent Go 500 GB *Est. $225

2 picks by top review sites.

Western Digital My Book Home Edition 320 GB *Est. $100

2 picks by top review sites.

Western Digital My Book Home Edition 1 TB *Est. $240

2 picks by top review sites.


	Seagate FreeAgent Pro 500 GB USB 2.0/FireWire 400/eSATA Desktop External Hard Drive ST305004FPA1E3-RK from Amazon.com Average Customer Review:


	Seagate FreeAgent Pro 750 GB 3.5" USB 2.0/eSATA External Hard Drive from Amazon.com New: $289.99 In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	Maxtor STM901203OTA3E1-RK OneTouch 4 Mini 120 GB 2.5-Inch USB 2.0 Portable Hard Drive from Amazon.com New: $74.98 In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	Maxtor STM901603OTA3E1-RK OneTouch 4 Mini 160 GB 2.5-Inch USB 2.0 Portable Hard Drive from Amazon.com New: $59.90 In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	Maxtor STM902503OTA3E1-RK OneTouch 4 Mini 250 GB 2.5-Inch USB 2.0 Portable Hard Drive from Amazon.com New: $58.95 In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	Maxtor STM903203OTA3E1-RK OneTouch 4 Mini 320 GB 2.5-Inch USB 2.0 Portable Hard Drive from Amazon.com New: $99.60 In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	LaCie 301825U d2 Quadra 500 GB eSATA/FireWire800/FireWire400/USB 2.0 External Hard Disk from Amazon.com New: $125.50 Average Customer Review:


	Western Digital WDH1CS5000N 500GB My Book Home Edition External Hard Drive from Amazon.com New: $99.98 In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	LaCie 301332U d2 Quadra 320 GB eSATA/FireWire800/FireWire400/USB 2.0 External Hard Disk from Amazon.com Average Customer Review:


	LaCie 301826U d2 Quadra 750 GB eSATA/FireWire800/FireWire400/USB 2.0 External Hard Disk from Amazon.com Average Customer Review:


	LaCie 301827U d2 Quadra 1 TB eSATA/FireWire800/FireWire400/USB 2.0 External Hard Disk from Amazon.com Average Customer Review:


	Seagate FreeAgent Go 320 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive-Black ST903203FAA2E1-RK from Amazon.com New: $72.00 In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	Seagate FreeAgent Go 500 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive-Silver ST905003FGA2E1-RK from Amazon.com New: $92.88 In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	Western Digital My Book Home Edition External Hard Drive - 320 GB, USB 2.0, FireWire 400, eSATA (WDH1CS3200) from Amazon.com New: $90.50 In Stock. Average Customer Review:

External Hard Drives: Reviews

Best external hard drive

Best portable external hard drive

Mass storage external drive, network capable.

External Hard Drives by Price Range