External hard disks - 15 rated and reviewed

Features & Design

Stars for Features & Design are based on a series of criteria, which depend on the intended role of the drive in question. For desktop devices, we’re looking for a design that will sit comfortably on your desk without being obtrusive. Conveniences such as a separate power switch and Kensington lock support are noted and rewarded.

Portable devices tend to be more perfunctory and sacrifice features in favour of small size and portability. We consider whether a drive has an access light, whether it uses standard cables and how easily it will fit into a pocket.

For all types of drive put to the test, we also take capacity into account, as well as weight and aesthetics.

Value for Money

Our Value for Money score reflects the purchase price of each drive, but top marks don’t necessarily go to the cheapest contender. We take into account exactly what you get for your money. First, we calculate what each drive costs in terms of cents-per-gigabyte (see the graph opposite), based on the best street price we can find for each drive.

Then, we factor in each unit’s scores for Performance and Features & Design to arrive at a final rating. Again, these scores aren’t directly comparable across categories, as the miniature disks used in portable drives are considerably more expensive than the larger desktop units.

Overall

We derive an Overall rating from the average of the other three scores, though due to rounding it may be higher or lower than expected.

This Group Test appeared in the January, 2009 issue of PC & Tech Authority Magazine