I needed an external hard drive as a back up for my digital photos and other items. I also wanted something portable if necessary but that was not of prime importance. I looked at this and the mini that was powered by the USB cable only. The mini was smaller but with that came a higher cost. I just did not think the cost to space value was worth it so I picked up this which gave me more memory for a much lower price. My primary portable storage device is a 4 GB flash drive which is perfect for my needs, so that also influenced my decision on buying this version.
SetupThere was nothing to do, it was fully recognized by my computer with both the USB cable and the Firewire cable.
Software was already installed on the harddrive itself.
What it comes with -External Hard Drive with Preloaded Software
-Maxtor SafetyDrillTM Recovery CD
-Backup and OneTouch Manager Software Applications
-USB 2.0 Cable
-FireWire 400 Cable
-External AC Power Supply
Features and buttonsIt has one button on the front and that is designed to start the automatic backup feature.
There is no power button.
PlugsIn the back it has one plug for the power cord, one for a USB port, and 2 firewire ports.
Transfer speedIt took approximately 30 minutes to transfer 38 GB of music.
It took 8 seconds to transfer a 200MB video file.
It took 34 seconds to transfer a 700 MB video file
These were done through the firewire
I changed it out and tried the 700 MB file via USB.
It took 34 seconds to transfer a 700 MB video file
Same speed for both inputs.
One TouchI installed the one touch software just too test it. All of the software is on the drive. It took less than a minute but did require a reboot.
It gives you the option of just backing up your "my documents" or picking and choosing what folders/drives to back up. It also lets you set the time and days you want it to back up.
There's also some sort of encryption feature but I didn't mess with that. You need a password and it will automatically encrypt it for you. The box says it is AES 256-bit software encryption. I just want to use it as an external hard drive for my analog video and photos so I just treat it as an external hard drive.
The software automatically looks for an update to the backup software and gives you the option to install it. Nice and convenient.
This also enables the button. Just press it and it will automatically back up for you. You just tell the program what folders to save.
I have since uninstalled the program since I don't like software running in the background and I want to control what I put on the hard drive manually.
Other usesMy brother-in-law has several of these for his mac's. He has a Mac Mini hooked up with these and he uses one to watch various movies and photo slide shows on his television. I've used it and the concept works perfectly, and since the Mac has a small hard drive, this turns it into a really useful mini computer.
It also says that 2 or more computers can be connected at once.
Who do I recommend this device to?This is an ideal device for someone that need a large backup device for your desktop or Laptop. It is ideal for either PC or MAC. It is also ideal as a storage device on a network. If you have a network and want a universal drive to store things on then this would be a great option.
I do not use the feature, but it is also has a good program that automatically backs up your hard drive (or any other device connected) on a routine basis. The program is very easy to use. And if your internal hard drive crashes, it comes with a cd-rom that can be used to restore your hard drive information to a new hard drive.
For those that need it, there is also an encryption feature. I don't care because I don't store any information on my computer hard drive that would compromise my identity.
I also recommend this for someone that rips all of their DVD's. This is an ideal way to store them. The USB 2.0 connection is fast enough to stream the video directly off of the hard drive itself.
Who would not want this?There are 32 GB flash drives at most stores now that are fairly cheap. I currently use a 4GB flash drive and that meets my needs. But if you are a person that needs more than 32GB in a portable format then you would not want this drive to serve that purpose. The main reason is the power cable, secondly the size is also an issue. Not only do you have to worry about the connection cable, you have to worry about taking the power cable with you all the time. This is also bigger than the "My Passport" portable hard drives and therefore would require a bigger computer bag to carry it in. For portablility this is not a good choice.
If you need a device that is portable then you want a hard drive that is small and is powered by the USB connection. The sibling to this device is call My Passport and it does cost more. I had a choice between those two at Costco and I choose this one because it was cheaper (It was still cheaper even with the coupon I had). I certainly do not need the portability at this time.
Why not just get another internal hard drive?That is your third option and is the cheapest of all of the options. But it is only an option for a desktop that has a slot available (if you have a tower then you probably have the room.) I've never heard of anyone installing a second hard drive into a laptop. The other reason you would want an internal hard drive is speed. If you're using SATA then it should be considerably faster than using a USB connection. So if speed and cost are your primary concerns then you will want an internal hard drive instead.
PC RequirementsPentium III, 500Mhz equivalent processor or higher
Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Ultimate, and Business
Windows XP Home, Professional, and Media Center Edition
256 MB RAM or more as required by operating system
CD ROM drive for Maxtor SafetyDrill full PC recovery
Internet connection for software updates.
Mac RequirementsMac OS X 10.4.7 - 10.4.9
256MB RAM or more as required by operating system.
Internet connection for software updates
Dimensions and weightweight: 2 lb 10 5/8 oz
wide: 2.5 inches in the bottom
height: 6 3/4 inches
depth: 5 7/8 inches on the bottom
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