Superb performance, quiet running and excellent value for home use, especially if you want to stream media.

Easy to use, and with space for a second SATA disk, but it struggles with small files and is overpriced for the features.

One of the cheapest 500GB drives here, but this is reflected in the lack of features and slow transfer speeds.

Share and back up music, photos, video and documents on your network with a high-capacity NAS drive.

Great performance, near-silent running and the FTP server make the Buffalo a great alternative to the Maxtor.

Not the fastest or quietest here, but it does offer some unique business benefits.

Plenty of features for such a small box. If you don’t already have a wireless router, this is a fantastic choice.

Packed with features, and with great performance, the only disadvantages are the price and the short warranty.

While the storage community eagerly awaits Serial ATA disks (see page 39), the latest generations of Ultra ATA disks have emerged, boasting huge capacities and searing performance.

Good value and high capacity, but performance is average

Huge capacity, but not very quiet or good value

Fast, quiet and unbeatable value, the SpinPoint P120 is the clear leader here

Stuck for storage space? Upgrade to one of the latest disks and you’ll benefit from better performance too

As prices continue to fall in a competitive market, we take a look at the latest crop of devices for backup and storage.

Brief reviews of new products, plus updates on items we've already featured.

Stack your system full of software without paying a penny, with our guide to essential downloads

Play your video, photo and music files on your TV from a networked PC. We put five network players to the test

Blisteringly fast but expensive for the capacity

A decent performer, but it struggles with small files

High capacity, good performance and affordable. The Caviar is a great alternative to the Samsung