Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

The tech specs (for those interested) are as follows: Cache / Buffer Size: 2 MB Data Transfer Rate: Up to 480 Mbps Dimensions (WxDxH) / Weight: 4.5" x 7.25" x 1.25" / 2.67 lbs Formatted Capacity: 250 GB Interface Type: USB 2.0 Software included: Iomega Automatic Backup Software, MUSICMATCH® Spindle Speed: 7200 RPM This HDD has a very small cache memory, the cache memory is like a Random Access Memory (RAM). As the microprocessor processes data, it looks first in the cache memory and if it finds the data there (from a previous reading of data), it does not have to do the more time-consuming reading of data from larger memory. So, the larger the cache memory size, the faster the device. If I am not mistaken, Maxtor HDD's have upto 16MB cache memory sizes. 2MB is very small for a 250GB HDD. Period. Interface: USB 2.0, that used to be cool some years ago, but ever since IEEE 1394 fire wire connections were introduced, USB 2.0 looks like a ford against a mercedes benz. Way too slow and clunky. Maxtor has 2 fire wire ports and 1 USB 2.0 port on its higher end external HDD's. So if I am singing about Maxtor all the time, why did I buy the Iomega and why am I rating it 4 stars? Simple, the maxtor is equivalently priced, I paid $90 for this HDD (with mail in rebates from Compusa) and the equivalent Maxtor is about $237. It was a no brainer for me. Speed is good, but not at that price difference. And I have owned a Maxtor 250GB for the past 1.5 years (paid a lot more for it then). I used the USB interface, and exactly 1 years 1 month after buying it, its USB port failed. Since the warranty expires at 1 year after purchase, I was afraid I would loose all the data. But since there were 2 more fire wire ports, I had no problems. But apart from that, the maxtor has performed solidly, even though I didnt exactly treat it gently. That speaks highlyof its quality, since hard disks are very vulnerable to bad handling, so I do like the Maxtors. I also tested a western digital 250GB external hard drive before buying the Iomega. It was large, heated up way too fast and too much and made a strange noise as the HDD spindle ran during a data seek. It just made me uneasy. And it had about the same cache memory size and maybe a lower spindle speed. And it was $130 from Sams club, quite more expensive compared to the Iomega. And for those interested, the Western Digital didnt look so good with its serrated olive green surface. The iomega has some good features. It feels solid and looks good. You will like having its sleek silver colored shape on your desk. The power adapter is in the middle - one length of wire connects to the power source, the other to the HDD, and the wires of sufficient length. So you dont have to sit close to a power outlet. An important consideration for me, since I like to work in bed some times and I want my laptop and HDD with me. The included USB cable is ridiculously short, you might want to pick one of a longer length for increased mobility. The speeds of data transfer are nothing to swoon over. I moved 20GB of data last night from my laptop to the Iomega, took well over 35 minutes. But it worked flawlessly. Even with the maxtor some times, during the transfer of a large amount of data, some times the transfer stops inexplicably, it doesnt happen so with this Iomega HDD. It runs cool and doesnt make any noise. Not that HDD noise is an issue in any case. Over all it is a good solid product, Cnet.com rates it highly and my experience with it has been good. Hard disks are for data back up, I did not use the included software, I too use Acronis backup, like one gentleman has suggested here. Although Acronis is horrendously slow, and after backing up files, you might loose file associations, but thats the best you have in the market now. Acronis took about 26 hours to back up a 65GB image from an external hard disk to the laptop computer's hard disk, and file associations to some very critical engineering applications were irrevocably lost. But it was better than loosing the data completely. Iomega should provide a good back up software along with its Hard drive, Maxtor provides "one touch" back up software, where you can back up and keep updating your backed up files with "one touch" of a button. I never used that, so I cant compare it. Anyway, apart from the software issues,if you want a good solid hard disk at a reasonable price, look no further. Iomega is a trusted name with a long history in memory technology, and this product, although is not a world beater, provides excellent bang for the buck. If you are looking to back up a lot of data, or just store those videos and pictures, at a reasonable price, go for it. Regards, Kaushik Lodh.