LaCie d2 Quadra

Very few external hard drives get consistently good reviews from experts and owners -- but the LaCie d2 Quadra does. It includes all four connection options (eSATA, Firewire 800 and 400 and USB 2.0) and their cables, as well as good backup software for PCs and Macs. It's also compatible with Apple's Time Machine backup software. And although owners often complain about other external drives breaking down and vaporizing their important files, those who own the d2 Quadra say it's unusually reliable and works the way it should.

Critics like the d2 Quadra's slim, minimalist design. Testers say it runs quietly and transfers data quickly, working seamlessly with PCs or Macs. It comes in four capacities: 500 GB (*Est. $125), 1 TB (*Est. $155), 1.5 TB (*Est. $220) and 2 TB (*Est. $280). It costs about the same as other highly regarded external hard drives, but if you don't need that much memory or speed, the portable Seagate FreeAgent Go (*Est. $70 for 250 GB) costs less. Some less expensive hard drives with the same capacity are available, including the Western Digital My Book Home Edition (*Est. $100 for 500 GB), but most don't fare as well in owner reviews. The LaCie d2 Quadra carries a three-year warranty.

We found lots of reviews for the LaCie d2 Quadra, but those written before mid-2008 apply to an older version. Government Computer News and Britain's IT Reviews expertly test the d2 Quadra with PCs, and Macworld tests it with Macs. Owner reviews at Amazon.com show how the d2 Quadra performs in real life.